Fans are hoping The Super Mario Bros Movie could give rise to the dawn of the Nintendo Cinematic Universe, building out a series of films with Kirby, Zelda, and others that leads to a Smash Bros event.
Shared universes were once a gimmick, but they’ve always been a box office draw. When Xenomorph skulls were spotted in Predator 2, appetites were widely whet for Alien vs. Predator, which grossed more than $177 million. Freddy vs. Jason was the highlight of slasher fans’ years in 2003.
Now, not only does everyone want their own “CU”, but they’re aiming for billion-busting glory at the box office. That ambition became the curse of the DCEU, constantly chasing the pop-culture-shaping dominance of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
After this weekend’s numbers, don’t be surprised if we’ve just seen the first entry in a larger franchise: after The Super Mario Bros Movie, could the NCU be coming?
Super Mario Bros movie fans want NCU with Smash Bros event
Twitter user @whatnownerds mocked up a hypothetical timeline for the Nintendo Cinematic Universe, which would be produced by Illumination in its entirety.
After The Super Mario Bros Movie, we’d have The Legend of Zelda and Metroid, followed by Starfox and Kirby. We’d then have Donkey Kong, before the Avengers-level event: a Super Smash Bros team-up movie.
Reacting to the thought-up franchise, one user wrote: “If Nintendo does it right, it would end Marvel’s reign!”
Yes please, I would like the Nintendo cinematic universe please. pic.twitter.com/oWhxxT143A
— Cliff Bleszinski (@therealcliffyb) April 10, 2023
“Hypothetical Nintendo Cinematic Universe. Would be a missed opportunity with how well Mario Bros is doing at the box office,” another wrote. “As somebody with NO interest in Marvel, I want this to happen so much. And Super Smash could be, like, their version of the Avengers,” a third tweeted.
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While others are still keen on the overall idea, they have one grievance: Illumination isn’t the best fit for all of the movies, especially Zelda. “If The Legend of Zelda is ever made into a feature film it SHOULD NOT be made by Illumination… there is a single animation studio worthy of the honor. Studio Ghibli. No debate. I’m not wrong,” one wrote.
“Yes but Illumination should NOT be the ones to do these movies. Mario is super simple but I argue that the movie had LACK of character development and that’s due to Illumination being super cheap,” another wrote.
As you’d expect, not everyone is a fan, especially those fatigued by the trend of shared universes. “At this point Marvelbrain is an actual psychological disorder that needs proper treatment before they’re allowed to interact with public,” one joked.
“The last thing the world needs is another cinematic universe it must be said,” another wrote. “I yearn for a reality free of cinematic universes. A world free of crossovers and cameos. A just world,” a third tweeted.
The Super Mario Bros Movie is in cinemas now. Check out the rest of our coverage below:
Review | All actors and characters in the voice cast | Will there be a Super Mario Bros. Movie 2? | Mario’s accent explained | Seth Rogen wants Donkey Kong spinoff | Best Easter Eggs | Chris Pratt’s favorite Mario cheat | Lots of Mario movies planned | Wario and Waluigi voice speculation | How to watch the Mario movie | Jack Black wants Bowser movie | How old is Princess Peach? | Is Yoshi in it?
