Universal and Nintendo have a massive hit on their hands with The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, but now part of the press tour is being overshadowed by a grotesque viral stunt that never should have happened in the first place. During a recent interview, Mario Galaxy star Charlie Day, who plays Luigi in the film was asked a loaded question that was clearly designed to bait him into referencing Luigi Mangione, the man accused in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
But instead of shutting it down, Day played along.
That alone is bad enough. But the bigger disgrace may be the interviewer who set the whole thing up.
A Disgusting Setup From the Start
The exchange wasn’t subtle, accidental, or some innocent bit of wordplay that accidentally wandered into dark territory. It was a deliberate attempt to force a cast member from a family-friendly Nintendo movie into making a joke-adjacent reference to one of the most infamous criminal cases in the country.
this is sending me so bad😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/99YTiMoSie
— ً (@bloodanya) April 1, 2026
The interviewer asked Day, “I have a question for you Charlie — you play Luigi, a great Italian guy. Who’s your favorite Luigi in recent American history?”
Come on. Everybody in that room knew exactly where that was going. Co-Star Keegan Michael Key even starts loudly laughing to the point where it was almost a scream.
This wasn’t a question about Nintendo or the film. It wasn’t even a question about Charlie Day’s performance as Luigi. It was a trap built for virality, outrage, and social media clipping. A cheap little ambush dressed up as banter.
And somehow that was allowed to become part of a major studio press junket.
Charlie Day Should Have Known Better
Day’s reply made the moment worse.
He responded, “In recent American history?! Ah, well, me first of all, number one … Luigi Mangione, number two.”
That answer is now everywhere, for obvious reasons.
Screenshot from the Luigi’s Mansion 3 Nintendo Switch Trailer – Nintendo of America
Let’s be clear: the interviewer deserves heavy criticism for setting up the moment, but Charlie Day is not helpless here. He could have declined. He could have laughed it off. He could have said Luigi from the games. He could have moved on. He had a dozen exits.
Instead, he took the one path guaranteed to turn a press stop for a Nintendo blockbuster into a sick little online controversy.
That is not clever, nor is it edgy. It’s not harmless fun, It’s reckless, and it hands critics of the movie’s marketing exactly the kind of distraction Nintendo and Universal almost certainly don’t want.
This is Not a Meme, It’s a Murder Case
What makes this so tasteless is that the internet has spent months turning Mangione into a meme. That alone has already been ugly enough. But when that kind of online poison spills into a studio interview for a movie built around one of the most recognizable family brands on Earth, it crosses a line.
Mangione is not some fictional punchline. He is the defendant in a high-profile criminal case tied to the December 2024 killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. He has pleaded not guilty, and his state and federal trials are currently scheduled for later this year.
Mario and Luigi in the desert kingdom from the Super Mario Galaxy Movie Trailer – YouTube, Nintendo of America
READ: ‘Supergirl’ Star Milly Alcock Echoes ‘She-Hulk’ on Facing Criticism
That is real life. Real death. Real consequences. Real family members left behind.
Yet this interviewer decided that the best use of Charlie Day’s time was to steer him into referencing that case because, what, the names match? Because it would get clipped and shared? Because some corner of the internet thinks it’s funny?
That’s rotten.
The Interviewer Got Exactly What He Wanted
The ugliest part of this may be what happened next.
The people conducting the interview made clear that this was the answer they wanted all along. In other words, this was not an awkward misunderstanding. It was the goal.
He literally says, “That’s what he wanted, thank you.”
(from left) Mario (Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day) in Nintendo and Illumination’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie, directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic.
This is nothing more than clout chasing with a corpse in the background. And once you see it that way, the whole thing becomes even more embarrassing for everyone involved.
Press junkets are already carefully managed environments. So how does a question like this make it through? Who thought it was a good idea to let a family film’s promotional cycle get dragged into the orbit of a murder case for a few seconds of viral attention?
Because that’s what happened here. Someone wanted a headline more than they respected the property, the cast, or the basic decency owed to a real-life tragedy.
This is Not What Nintendo or Universal Should Want Near This Movie
Nintendo has spent years guarding its characters and brand image with near-obsessive care. Universal knows exactly what kind of audience shows up for a Mario movie. The target is families, kids, nostalgic fans, and general audiences looking for a fun night out.
Do we really think either company wants the words “Charlie Day,” “Luigi,” and “Mangione” showing up in the same headline cycle around a major theatrical release?
Of course not.
Universal Experiences CEO Mark Woodbury and Mario/Donkey Kong Creator Shigeru Miyamoto in Super Nintendo World at Epic Universe – Photo Credit: NBC Universal
That is what makes this so mind-numbingly stupid. The movie should be dominating conversation because audiences are showing up for it in huge numbers. Instead, this interviewer managed to inject one of the dumbest and most tasteless scandals imaginable into the discourse.
And Charlie Day, whether through bad judgment or a desire to play along with the room, helped make it happen.
A Family Brand Deserves Better
The lesson here is simple. The interviewer should be ashamed for asking the question. Charlie Day should be ashamed for answering it and issue an apology for it.
And any outlet or personality pretending this was just harmless fun should take a long look at why turning an alleged killer into a punchline has become acceptable in the first place.
The title card for The Super Mario Galacy Movie – YouTube, Illumination
Nintendo’s characters have endured for decades because they represent escapism, fun, and timeless entertainment. They should not be dragged into internet-brained murder meme culture because someone in an interview chair wanted a viral clip.
This was gross. It was avoidable. And it never should have happened.
How do you feel about Charlie Day referencing Luigi Mangione? Sound off in the comments and let us know!
UP NEXT: Audience Score Surges for ‘Super Mario Galaxy Movie’ Despite Hollywood Critics Slamming Film
We need to find Vacant Mansions in these people’s Neighborhood, find a whole bunch of Muslim Illegals to Squat their, and set up Cameras to record the entire thing.
Watch them be like LeBron when those Squatters took over that one Mansion.
Also hire a Lawyer for the Illegals so the Police tell the Champaign Socialists what others are told.
“It’s a Civil Matter”!!!!!!!!!!
Are we really going to act offended over support for Luigi Mangione? I personally think more CEO’s that treat people as a commodity should face a firing squad as well, and Brian Thompson benefited directly from putting profits ahead of the health of millions of his customers. Healthcare and health insurance should be classified as nonprofit businesses, but anything other than that is somehow socialism, which is somehow now a trigger word for MAGA snowflakes to send them into an apoplectic frenzy. Laissez-faire capitalism has led to nothing but oligarchy, and so it’s time the rich learned the lessons of the French Revolution again, and that is that no one is untouchable.
Murder is murder. You’re blaming one man for the actions of an institution that has been doing this for decades. He was just their latest figurehead. It’s not at all about Brian Thompson, it’s about the corrupt people behind the insurance business who all profit from the misery of regular folks. Still, they should be imprisoned and lose everything they have, but not killed on the street with a cowardly shot from behind.
You’re right, murder is murder. How many people died as a result of decisions Thompson and other health insurance executives made with callous disregard and depraved indifference to the lives of their “customers”? Depraved indifference that results in the death of someone is the benchmark for 2nd degree murder in most states, but I wonder why none of these execs ever got charged?
Thompson never looked any of his victims in the eye either, cancer patients denied care because it was deemed a “pre-existing condition” or patients discharged too early from the hospital because keeping them an extra day or two was considered too expensive and unnecessary. I’m willing to bet if you really thought about it, you’ve probably had a loved one that prematurely died as a result of medical insurance bureaucracy instead of any other reason. And if you haven’t, try to imagine what that feels like. Losing a loved one because some fucking business suit wearing prick made a decision that killed your loved one, then gets to smile and go home to his mansion at the end of the day. As far as I’m concerned there aren’t enough Luigi’s out there doing God’s work.
Still doesnt justify cowardly murdering someone, murderer lover.
You sound brain damaged and pretty gay. Time to go outside.
These fuck faces supported authoritarian levels of censorship because words are violence and whined for years about muh jan 6th even though those same two faced pricks told everyone it was super dangerous to go outside their own homes back in 2020 except when it came to rioting for months which they justified.
I’m not American but I absolutely am offended that these absolute psychopaths lecture others about hate speech and incitement to violence whilst they fawn over killers. I live in the UK. We arrest people over online speech because of these pricks who feel like everyone else ought to be suppressed because of their feelings. I am also offended that they shit on the manosphere and incel community because “they just need to have empathy to pull” when they show that so long as you look good (although personally I thought he looked average but whatever) you can literally kill and be thirsted over.
Do I care about the CEO? Not really. I do however care that these psychopaths have had excessive influence and mass emotional blackmail whilst also indoctrinated children to their death cult. They said Kyle Rittenhouse shouldn’t be allowed to defend himself who “crossed state lines with a gun” whilst they victimise Alex Pretti for bringing a gun. They actively cheered for charlie kirk being shot and then act like they were oppressed for being fired and then acted like they were only punished because they didn’t mourn him. They are evil. Literally evil. You think they will stop at CEOs? They already call us all Nazis to legitimise our murder.
And again because I’m a Brit I will point out that in my country we have the religion of peace killing and raping children and leftists will act like we’re the extremists if we’re upset about it. I am incredibly offended when they lecture me on what is “harmful” and have gotten so many of my accounts banned whilst they actively promote and defend extremism. Fuck them.
Don’t forget that the left have also went after people for offensive jokes.
Oh man, as a HUGE Always Sunny fan, I can only hope that Charlie was stupidly playing along. This won’t reflect well on him.
mangione didn’t do anything useful, he just murdered a guy. united healthcare ceo is just the ceo of an insurance provider. incels celebrating this is like celebrating the football team losing their home game so they kill the water boy. zero sense, accomplished nothing.