Now that The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is officially out in the world on the 2026 movie schedule, audiences are digging into everything from its stacked voice cast to its surprisingly deep bench of Nintendo characters. But one of the more entertaining behind-the-scenes stories has nothing to do with Easter eggs or hidden references. It’s how Donald Glover and Glen Powell ended up in the movie in the first place. Because neither of them exactly followed the traditional Hollywood playbook.
Speaking with Forbes, producer Chris Meledandri emphasized that Nintendo, led by Shigeru Miyamoto, worked closely with Illumination on every aspect of the film to preserve what makes these characters work in the first place. That collaborative environment seems to have created the perfect opening for actors who already loved the material. Enter Glover and Powell.
