Charles Martinet, the legendary voice actor of Nintendo characters like Mario, Luigi, Wario, Waluigi, and more, will be “stepping back” from his role, the company announced today.
Martinet instead will be “moving into the brand-new role of Mario Ambassador,” where he will “continue to travel the world sharing the joy of Mario and interacting” with fans everywhere.
“It has been an honor working with Charles to help bring Mario to life for so many years and we want to thank and celebrate him,” Nintendo wrote in its announcement. “Please keep an eye out for a special video message from Shigeru Miyamoto and Charles himself, which we will post at a future date.”
Martinet, 67, began his foray as Mario back in 1994’s Mario Teaches Typing, a CD-ROM game. The legend truly began in 1996’s Super Mario 64, however, when he began to “wahoo!” and “it’s-a-me” into the hearts of gamers everywhere. He’s been the voice of Nintendo’s most iconic hero ever since.
Most recently, Martinet voiced the character in Mario Strikers: Battle League, and Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope. He also appeared in the Super Mario Bros. movie where he played the father of Mario and Luigi, along with another character named Giuseppe. Mario was voiced by Chris Pratt in the film.
A specific reason for the switch from the role was not given, but at the very least, Martinet will continue to represent Mario and all the good that he stands for at events across the globe, according to Nintendo.
The next Mario game, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, will release later this year on Oct. 20. It’s unknown if Martinet will reprise the role one last time.
Update on Aug. 21 at 9:50am CT: Martinet has posted on Twitter, thanking his fans for their support.
