Glen Powell is continuing a casting trend in his career through his role in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. 2023’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie was filled with many characters from Mario’s video game history, but the 2026 sequel expands the roster even more.
Joining the cast are Brie Larson as Princess Rosalina, Benny Safdie as Bowser Jr., Luiz Guzman as Wart, Issa Rae as Honey Queen, and Donald Glover as Yoshi. In addition to its large lineup of Mario characters, Super Mario Galaxy is also introducing characters from other Nintendo games.
It was recently revealed that Fox McCloud is making his cinematic debut in the film. Fox is an intergalactic pilot and the main character of the Star Fox series, who is also recognizable from his inclusion in the Super Smash Bros. games. Powell is the voice of Fox and is perfectly cast, as he’s played similar roles before.
Fox McCloud Is The Latest Pilot Played By Glen Powell
Powell has been acting for many years, but became a star after 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick. In the film, Powell played Jake “Hangman” Seresin, a Navy pilot who develops a rivalry with Miles Teller’s Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw. While he is slightly antagonistic, Powell brings his charisma to the role, and the character is a hero by the film’s ending.
The blockbuster hit was a moment of ascension for Powell’s career, but it wasn’t the first time he played a pilot. He had previously portrayed John Glenn in Hidden Figures. Glenn was a real-life aviator and astronaut who was the first person to orbit the Earth.
After Maverick, he returned to the pilot’s seat in 2022’s Devotion. The film told the story of Jesse Brown, portrayed by Jonathan Majors, who was the first black aviator in U.S. Navy history. Powell played Tom Hudner, another naval pilot who formed a friendship with Brown during the Korean War.
While Powell is only voicing Fox, he’s still an excellent choice for the role, as he knows how to portray a character like him. Fox is cool, brave, and heroic, and Powell has embodied that in the other pilots he’s played in his films.
Powell Has Had Plenty Of Success Playing Pilots
Top Gun: Maverick was a massive hit. It was the second-highest-grossing film of 2022, earning nearly $1.5 billion worldwide. It was also a critical success, earning a 96% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes. It was also an Oscar contender, earning six Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, and winning one Oscar for Best Sound.
Meanwhile, Hidden Figures was another awards contender, and was nominated for three Academy Awards, including Best Picture, at the 2017 Academy Awards. The 2016 historical drama was also a critical and commercial hit, grossing over $235.9 million worldwide and earning a 93% RT critic score.
While Devotion wasn’t a box office hit, it was well-received by critics, garnering an 81% RT critic score. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie has received mixed reactions from critics, with a 45% RT critic score. However, the first film made around $1.4 billion, and the sequel will likely be another significant box office hit.
- Release Date
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April 1, 2026
- Runtime
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98 Minutes
- Director
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Aaron Horvath, Michael Jelenic, Pierre Leduc, Fabien Polack
- Writers
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Matthew Fogel
- Producers
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Chris Meledandri, Shigeru Miyamoto
This story originally appeared on Screenrant
