The Super Mario Galaxy Movie won’t arrive in theaters until April 3, but merchandise for the film is already hinting at a minor redesign for Toad. For the last few months, the voice of Toad, Keegan-Michael Key, has been dropping hints that the character would be “finding his light” in the new movie.
Now it’s clear what he meant. Licensed images spotted by The Direct show the addition of a headlamp, suggesting the look that Toad sported in Super Mario Galaxy and Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker games.
Captain Toad in Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker – Nintendo of America, YouTube
In The Super Mario Bros. Movie, the character served as a guide for Mario and a sidekick to Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy). His costume included his traditional red and white toadstool cap, blue vest, and a backpack. The new headlamp could mean that he’s been promoted to Captain Toad and will have a more prominent role in Galaxy.
First Look at the Redesign
The first look at the Toad redesign came from Epoch Games’ Galaxy-themed Spin ‘N Match memory game for young children. A movie-inspired pinball game and the box art for a balancing game also revealed the new headlamp. The Direct notes that Epoch Games has been copyright-striking images of the new merchandise.
Still, gamers familiar with Super Mario Galaxy and Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker should know exactly what to expect. The more interesting question is if this minor redesign for Toad means big changes for the character in the Galaxy film — perhaps even adopting the Captain Toad persona.
Captain Toad in Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker – Nintendo of America, YouTube
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First introduced in Super Mario Galaxy for the Wii, Captain Toad was the leader of the Toad Brigade. The headlamp worn by the character is for defeating Boos, white spherical ghost enemies. That remains the headlamp’s primary function, aside from distinguishing Captain Toad from other Toads, in later games.
Except for a background cameo of King Boo from the Luigi’s Mansion games, The Super Mario Bros. Movie didn’t have any ghosts. It seems likely that the Galaxy movie may build out the world with the addition of the spooky enemies. Nintendo and Illumination have already signaled their intention to spinoff new characters and work toward a Mario Cinematic Universe.
What the Headlamp Really Means
Glimpses of Toad’s redesign on movie tie-in toys aren’t the first time Galaxy merchandise has provided an early look at the expanding universe. Last November, a Pillsbury cookie-dough kit strongly suggested that Yoshi will be in the upcoming movie. The packaging also featured something that looked like Rosalina’s Comet Observatory from the Super Mario Galaxy games.
Princess Rosalina after dispatching an enemy in the Super Mario Galaxy Movie – YouTube, Nintendo of America
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Brie Larson has been cast as Princess Rosalina and the character appeared in the trailer, which also introduced Bowser Jr. (voiced by Benny Safdie). In addition to Pratt, Taylor-Joy, and Key, most of the original voice cast from the first movie is returning for Galaxy. Notably, Donkey Kong (Seth Rogen) is not expected to be in Galaxy, though a spinoff for the popular character seems likely.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie proved to be one of the surprise hits of 2023, pulling in approximately $1.36 billion worldwide. Since people have had time to discover the movie through streaming, Galaxy could potentially do even better. Meanwhile, the Toad headlamp redesign may be pointing the way to the future of the growing franchise.
What do you think the Toad redesign means for the character? Let us know in the comments!
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