The voice of Mario is just as iconic as the plumber himself, with Charles Martinet helming the role for over 25 years. Following the surprising announcement that he would no longer be voicing Mario and friends, Nintendo has released a ‘special video message’ to discuss Martinet’s future as ‘Mario Ambassador’.

Releasing a ‘special video message’ via Twitter, the ‘father of Mario’ Shigeru Miyamoto and Charles Martinet took to the camera to discuss the future of both Martinet and Mario, with the former voice actor saying:

“Today, I’m happy to share with all of you that I’m stepping into a brand-new role as the Mario Ambassador. Traveling around the world, sharing the joy of the Mario family, and being able to continue meeting with all of you wonderful fans who I cherish absolutely the most, is a great, great honour. I’m very much looking forward to seeing all of you at events around the world in the years to come.”

Miyamoto then took to the screen to reminisce on the past while also celebrating the future, saying: “For all of you watching, please know that in this role Charles will continue to travel around the world and meet fans, performing the familiar voices at events, signing autographs, and enjoying interacting with you all.”

He continued, “Charles-san, your dedicated effort, your talent, and your height which I remember from where you almost hit your head at the entrance of a restaurant at Kyoto, all leave an impression on me. I am deeply grateful for your thoughtfulness when bringing our characters to life with your voice. I look forward to seeing you enjoy the moments with Nintendo fans at events all around the world.”

While certainly a bittersweet moment for all Mario fans, it is encouraging to see that Nintendo will continue to recognise the impact that Charles Martinet has had on millions of people over the past 3 decades.

KitGuru says: What do you think of Martinet’s new role? Will you miss him as Mario, Luigi, Wario and Waluigi? Let us know down below.

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