Wart's Future After Super Mario Bros Galaxy Movie Addressed By Luis Guzmán

After appearing in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Luis Guzmán discussed Wart’s future.

Guzmán’s career has ranged from popular films such as Carlito’s Way, Punch-Drunk Love, Boogie Nights, and now, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. In the follow-up to The Super Mario Bros. Movie, the actor plays Wart, a frog-like villain who was the main antagonist of Super Mario Bros. 2. This movie appearance marks Wart’s theatrical debut.

In an interview with ScreenRant’s Ash Crossan for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Guzmán discussed Wart’s return and teased the character’s future in the franchise. When asked about his character, Guzmán referenced his own children’s encouragement to “be a baddie,” addressed a potential future in the Super Mario Galaxy universe, and fans’ reactions to the new character.

Check out his comments below:

Man, that’s a really good question. I would like for him to continue on as a baddie — that’s how my little people refer to him to me: “Be a baddy, Pop, be a baddie.” And to be a baddie with a good heart, really. Just continue to be part of the Super Mario Galaxy universe… Listen, throughout the history of Super Mario, Wart has been a character that people have been waiting on. And the fact that he shows up — my understanding is people are over the moon about it.

Wart is a classic Super Mario villain who originally debuted as the main antagonist of the 1987 Japanese Nintendo game Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic, which ended up getting re-worked into Super Mario Bros. 2 for western audiences. Wart is a green frog-like king who attempts to conquer the dream world of Subcon.

Since Super Mario Bros 2, Wart has rarely appeared in any of the Mario games or media, and his appearance in this film is much more than an Easter egg. Wart is in charge of a casino in the Gateway Galaxy, and although he is not the primary “baddie” combo of Bowser and Bowser Jr, he does give Peach and Toad intel on Rosalina’s location.

Both Wart and Bowser are framed as villains battling their own emotions, so for Wart, being king of his own world and possibly being a “baddie with a good heart” aligns with many of the evolving portrayals of the Mario universe villains. Bowser’s vulnerability, due to his smaller size, creates internal conflict, which almost leads him to help Mario and Luigi.

Wart’s inclusion in the movie also reflects Nintendo expanding beyond just Bowser as the classic antagonist, by drawing from earlier, underused parts of the franchise. Wart is a deep dive back into the origins of the Mario universe, and it signals that if a character from earlier eras can have great impact in current films, there are many possibilities for more villains and environments.

Throughout Guzmán’s career, he has played characters who reflect both the tone of the film and the idea of a “baddie with a good heart.” He portrayed club owner Maurice Rodriguez in Boogie Nights, an ally to Pablo Escobar, José Gonzalo Rodríguez Gacha in Narcos, and, most recently, Gomez Addams in Wednesday.

So, while Wart’s long-term future in the franchise remains unclear, Guzmán’s comments and the sense that fans are “over the moon” about his return in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, suggest not only that Wart could be a presence moving forward, but that his appearance could signal what kinds of villains, galaxies or characters could arrive in the Super Mario Universe.