The first trailer for the Super Mario Bros movie was released Thursday (6 October), revealing Chris Pratt’s voice for the world-famous Italian plumber.
Illumination founder and CEO Chris Meledandri previously promised that Pratt’s role as the video game character would not offend Italians, after his casting faced criticism.
Pratt also assured fans himself, saying that his voice for the character was “updated and unlike anything you’ve heard in the Mario world before.”
“I worked really closely with the directors and trying out a few things and landed on something that I’m really proud of and can’t wait for people to see and hear,” he said in an interview with Variety.
However, after the trailer dropped, many fans were left wondering whether the actor had used any kind of accent at all; it’s been pointed out that Pratt’s voice sounds no different from his own.
“Who would have thought that Chris Pratt’s big secret voice in the mario movie would be his normal speaking voice,” wrote Hard Drive magazine on Twitter.
“Incredible, Chris Pratt really did his best Chris Pratt voice,” someone else responded.
“Chris Pratt saying he worked so hard on the Mario voice only for it to sound like Chris Pratt is the funniest thing,” wrote another viewer.
Many fans, though, were quick to defend Pratt: “[A]few seconds of a sample and the world is [poop emoji] on Chris. It doesn’t need to be EXACTLY like what we’ve had for 4 decades.”
“You can hear a little accent & it’s not bad for Mario. It’ll be fun,” the tweeter continued.
Fans were also divided over the use, or lack of the Italian accent in Pratt’s voice.
“At least Pratt didn’t attempt to have an Italian accent,” wrote one fan, while another disagreed: “We all know the Mario Brothers both are Italian, NOT American, but Pratt isn’t even TRYING! As someone who’s part-Italian, I’m a bit offended by that.”
“I think if we get angry enough we can force Chris Pratt to re-record all of his lines with an exaggerated italian accent,” another fan joked.
The Super Mario Bros film is due to be released on 7 April 2023.
