Summary
Thanks to the first movie’s ending,The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2already has all the setup it needs to introduce a classic Nintendo villain. In light ofThe Super Mario Bros. Movie’srecord-breaking box office haul, it’s no surprise that Mario and Luigi will be embarking on another adventure. As for what they’ll be up against, though, that remains to be seen. There’s no official word on what villains from the games will feature in the sequel.
After Bowser’s defeat inThe Super Mario Bros. Movie’sending, there’s a lot of questions regarding what the next threat to the Mushroom Kingdom will be. Admittedly, Mario and Luigi don’t exactly have a stacked rogues' gallery, given that Bowser dominates the villain stories of most Mario games. However, there are some NintendovillainsThe Super Mario Bros. Movie 2could certainly make use ofwhen it picks up Mario and Luigi’s story. In fact, the groundwork has already been laid for one of their old enemies from the games to make an appearance.
How Bowser’s Ending In The Super Mario Bros. Movie Set Up Bowser Jr.
Bowser being shrunk by a Mini Mushroom givesThe Super Mario Bros. Movie 2a good reason to bring his son into the fold. Like Kamek,Bowser Jr. has a reputation as one of Bowser’s staunchest allies. He’s assisted his father in a number of his evil schemes, and has even taken matters into his own hands on occasion. An excellent example of this was his story inSuper Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury. In the game, Bowser Jr. put aside his rivalry with Mario to save his father. Based on his devotion to his father, it won’t be surprising if a movie incarnation of the character decides to launch a rescue mission.
As it stands, Bowser is in no situation to menace Mario and Luigi, but Bowser Jr. allows the movie an easy opportunity to remedy that. With Bowser essentially rendered helpless for him now, it makes sense that any remaining, loyal allies he has would take measures to save him. As his son, Bowser. Jr. would be the prime candidate for such a role. Since he has a history of leadingBowser’s monster minionsin Mario’s games,it’s not hard to imagine Bowser Jr. mustering a rescue partyand retaliating against Mario and Princess Peach for capturing Bowser.
Could Bowser Jr. Be The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2’s Villain?
While the introduction of Bowser Jr. being used to facilitateBowser’s next story(and inevitable escape) is certainly plausible and perhaps even likely, that’s not to say the former has good odds of being the main villain. Bowser Jr. may have a formidable arsenal of weapons, but still falls short of his father’s sinister and imposing image. With that in mind,The Super Mario Bros. 2would be taking on a massive challenge if it were to replace Bowser with his son.
A more feasible avenue forThe Super Mario Bros. Movie 2to take would be to hand Bowser Jr. a role reminiscent of his video game counterpart.More often than not, Bowser Jr. is utilized as a secondary antagonistand the last boss Mario has to fight before facing Bowser himself. A similar formula could work well for the 2025 movie, as it could provide the Koopa King’s son with a meaningful role, but not one that tries to steal the spotlight from Mario’s true nemesis. Plus, going in this direction could make the villain story just different enough from the first movie to avoid Bowser being the villain again feeling too repetitive.
