The Super Mario Bros. Movie’s two trailers have already teased and fully shown a good amount of beloved Nintendo characters, but some leaked marketing material suggests a couple of friends from Mario’s intergalactic adventures could also be making an appearance, Rosalina and Luma.
Despite being relative newcomers to Mario world, Rosalina and Luma quickly became mainstays in the franchise, practically appearing in every Mario-related game since Super Mario Galaxy, whether it’d be Mario Kart, Mario Party, sports titles or her inclusion in the growing Super Smash Bros. Roster. Thanks to a very trailer-accurate McDonald’s menu from Japan, Nintendo fans were able to spot the presence of a tiny sky blue Luma that would make up the restaurant’s toy lineup when the film comes out, but what would Rosalina and Luma really bring to The Super Mario Bros. Movie?
Super Mario Galaxy Already?
The first thing that comes to mind is analyzing how reasonable would it be for Shigeru Miyamoto to include Rosalina and the Lumas at this stage of Mario’s cinematic career. That is because if the Mario movie is successful, then it makes sense for Miyamoto and Illumination Studios to save some worlds and characters for further down the line in potential sequels.
Nevertheless, during the trailer Princess Peach can be heard talking to Mario about the existence of many galaxies out there, possibly hinting at some planning for Rosalina to enter the fray in this film. The McDonald’s collectibles display every other Mario character with great accuracy, right down to the design changes specifically made for the movie that are more obvious in the case of Donkey Kong, for example, so if the leak is to be believed, then Rosalina looks certain to appear in the movie.
Why? Well, simply put, Lumas don’t really get to exist on their own without Rosalina, which becomes even more obvious due to her Smash Bros. Iteration packing the two as dual puppet characters that work together. Having Luma show up as easter egg material would be a strange decision, as much so as the Super Mario Bros. Movie dropping a colorful Yoshi stampede in the second trailer but choosing to skip on giving a Green Yoshi an actual role.
With the Super Mario Bros. Movie runtime allegedly leaking, regardless of that number being true or not, it bears reminding that as an animated film, Mario won’t have too long of an adventure, meaning there’s only so much Nintendo’s writers can cram in relatively little time. That said, just because Rosalina and the Lumas' story calls for a slightly more elaborate background, this is Mario after all, and lore does come second to fun and entertainment, so as long as their inclusion fits the overall tone of the movie, it can’t hurt to have the Super Mario Galaxy duo join the party.
Why It Makes Sense To Add Rosalina And Luma
One of the bigger reveals from the second Super Mario Bros. Movie trailer was that Princess Peach will be adopting a more combative role in the film instead of her usual damsel in distress plots. This is evidenced by her sporting her Mario Kart jumpsuit, as well as that shot of Peach getting ready to embrace the power of the fire flower.
However, Peach is also one of the few prominent female characters in the Mario franchise, thus the same goes for the movie, which is why Rosalina would make up for the perfect compliment to Anya Taylor-Joy as the sole female cast member. If Peach is more battle ready this time around, then a more passive role for Rosalina would not only add a second girl to the cast, but having her act as the protector of the cosmos from above in addition honors the part she plays in Super Mario Galaxy.
Some Mario fans have pointed out that the film’s poster might suggest Daisy will get some form of cameo in the movie, and the same goes for Pauline, yet these are both characters without the capacity to affect Mario’s adventure. If this movie or the next one take the Super Mario Galaxy route, then Rosalina serves a clear purpose in it, besides being a cool easter egg.
Even more so, the Super Mario Bros. Movie is a multigenerational event, and while vintage Donkey Kong or Mario’s earlier days and the modern Wii U era got a few nods in the trailers, Rosalina and the Lumas are the perfect way to represent the Wii, one of Nintendo’s most successful periods. Both Super Mario Galaxy titles offer top tier 3D platforming, these are the games that turned many into Mario when they were growing up, hence why Rosalina is a bigger and more impactful Nintendo character than the many Bowser minions already teased.
No matter how short the movie really is, Nintendo, Illumination and Miyamoto are bound to be keeping a few surprises up their sleeves, and although the Super Mario Galaxy connection may have been ruined by a leak, Rosalina and Luma appearing in the movie is exactly what fans want. It also props up the idea for Nintendo's Super Smash Bros. Cinematic Universe even more, and there's definitely no harm in that.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie is scheduled to be released on April 7, 2023.