Just days before The Super Mario Galaxy Movie was released, Nintendo and Illumination made a surprising revelation by confirming that none other than Fox McCloud from Star Fox would appear in the movie. It was a surprising thing to confirm ahead of the film’s release, as it would normally be the kind of appearance that would be kept a secret and something fans would like to experience in the theater. Despite the spoilery reveal, it sent Nintendo fans into overdrive with theories, with many assuming that Fox appearing in a Mario movie could only mean one thing: a Super Smash Bros. Movie is on the horizon.
It is, of course, worth noting that a Super Smash Bros. movie has not been formally announced, nor has Illumination even actually confirmed future plans for Nintendo on the big screen. We’re basing all of this on what The Super Mario Galaxy Movie clearly sets up for the future, and knowing that CinemaCon is set to happen in about two weeks. That in mind, if Illumination, Universal, and Nintendo are NOT planning a Super Smash Bros. movie at some point down the line, then they’ve put down bread crumbs for a sandwich that they have no intention of making, because the clues are there. Spoilers will follow.
Fox McCloud’s Appearance Is Gearing Up for More Animated Nintendo Movies
As expected, yes, Fox McCloud’s appearance in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is clearly there to set up another movie. When Fox first makes his debut, the film shifts into an anime-inspired flashback that reveals his backstory and his entire deal. The Glen Powell-voiced character reveals that his favorite things are what gamers would expect: protecting the Lylat system, flying with his buds (with Falco, Peppy, and Slippy all seen on screen), and pulling off sick moves (like, you guessed it, barrel rolls). He reveals he has arrived in this universe after a mishap with his warp drive. By the end of the movie, though, specifically in a post-credit scene, Fox reveals his drive has been fixed, and he’s headed home.
This scene is a clear-cut setup for a Star Fox feature film, but also firmly establishes the ability of other Nintendo characters to shift in and out of their own universes, making a potential crossover between them for something like Super Smash Bros. completely feasible and already established in-universe.
There is one potential wrinkle with this clear animated Nintendo Cinematic Universe and the setup that they’re doing for Super Smash Bros. and its The Legend of Zelda. As Nintendo fans may know, a live-action movie based on the video games is in the works, but unlike Super Mario, the film is not set up at Universal Studios. Instead, the live-action The Legend of Zelda is happening at Sony Pictures. As a result, it’s unclear if the rights to Link and Zelda are fully tied up at a rival studio, or if Nintendo was able to carve out the animation rights to the characters when they made a deal with Sony. This is one of the biggest question marks hanging over a potential Super Smash Bros. movie: Can they really make one WITHOUT Link being involved?
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’s Easter Eggs Set Up Smash Bros.
Fox McCloud’s appearance in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie isn’t just a cameo, though; he’s a full supporting character. Beyond his appearance, though, there are plenty of other cameos by other Nintendo characters that further the theory that a Super Smash Bros. film is happening. At the Gateway Galaxy, just before Fox McCloud makes his debut, Peach and Toad get directions from R.O.B. to the flight deck. After they arrive there, a tiny spaceship lands, and a few Pikmin walk out. Later, in the climactic battle with Bowser and Bowser Jr., Luigi picks up the magic paintbrush and brings to life none other than Mr. Game & Watch to help them fight. On top of that, accessory items like the Super Scope also play a pivotal role in the film.
Between the two Super Mario movies, a slew of characters from the Super Smash Bros. roster have appeared, including: Mario, Luigi, Peach, Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Bowser, Bowser Jr., Mr. Game & Watch, Piranha Plant, Yoshi, and Fox McCloud. This leaves only a handful of the major Nintendo characters from Smash currently unrealized on the big screen, like Samus Aran, Kirby, Captain Falcon, and Ness. Just like The Legend of Zelda problem addressed earlier, though, there’s another issue with a Super Smash Bros. mo,vie and it’s the licensing rights to a lot of the other characters that fans are used to seeing in the series.
Take Pokémon, for instance. Even though Nintendo is one of the companies that owns The Pokémon Company, the film rights to that franchise would be an expensive one (with live-action rights previously owned by Legendary). Some, like Ryu and Ken from Street Fighter, will appear in a movie later this year, and may very well not be able to show up in something like Smash Bros. That’s not even considering other company owned franchsies with Smash ties like Final Fantasy (Square Enix), Bayonetta (Sega), Banjo & Kazooie (Microsoft), Pac-Man (Bandai Namco), and Mega Man (Capcom).
Some characters like Splatoon’s Inklings, the Ice Climbers, and Animal Crossing‘s Villager could easily have a deal made with Universal thanks to their relationship with Nintendo, but some of the other characters are clearly caught up in something else. It’s worth considering, however, that maybe a Super Smash Bros. movie doesn’t need ALL of the characters that fans might want to see; instead, a roster that’s on par with the very first game for Nintendo 64 would be enough. Marvel didn’t jump to that climactic “Assemble” scene in Avengers: Endgame overnight.