Nintendo is opening 2026 by hyping the Mario movie again, and all signs point to Yoshi finally stepping into the spotlight.
Why Nintendo is starting 2026 with a movie
Why Nintendo is starting 2026 with a movie
- Nintendo just locked in its first Nintendo Direct of the year
- This one is not about games at all
- The focus is on the sequel to The Super Mario Bros. Movie
- The follow-up, called The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, hits theaters April 3, 2026
- The Direct airs Sunday, January 25
- Time is 6 am PT, 9 am ET, 2 pm BT
- Nintendo already warned everyone
- No game announcements, zero, none
- It first appeared on the Nintendo Today! app
- Then it spread across Nintendo’s social channels
- The usual disclaimer showed up immediately
- This presentation is movie-only
- This is the third overall look at the film
- First teaser landed September 2025
- First full movie directed in November 2025
- That Direct expanded the cast in a big way
- Rosalina is joining the film
- She will be voiced by Brie Larson
- Bowser Jr. is also in
- He will be played by Benny Safdie
- Yoshi has been teased for a long time
- The first movie literally ended on a Yoshi cliffhanger
- Nintendo has been dragging this out on purpose
- Fans have been waiting to see him actually move
- A Pillsbury collaboration leaked Yoshi’s design
- This happened just days before the last Direct
- That same promo spoiled Bowser Jr. early
- Nintendo did not love that
- We are already deep into January 2026
- The April release date is getting close
- Marketing needs to ramp up fast
- Showing Yoshi in motion feels overdue
- A full Yoshi reveal
- Possibly the actor voicing him
- More footage beyond static character shots
- A clearer sense of the sequel’s tone
- The first film made over a billion dollars
- This sequel is likely Nintendo’s biggest product of 2026
- Movies now matter as much as games for them
- This Direct is pure box office momentum
- Expectations are high
- Surprises are limited
- Fans mostly want one thing
- Let the green dinosaur run already