Mario fans want Pedro Pascal to replace Chris Pratt following SNL performance

Super Mario fans have called for Pedro Pascal to replace Chris Pratt in the upcoming film, after seeing the actor play the character in a Saturday Night Live sketch.

Airing last night, the 2 minute long skit saw Pascal become beloved plumber in spoof live-action remake of the game.

Check it out here:

The sketch was inspired by HBO’s The Last Of Us, which also stars the Chilean born actor, and shows Mario having to smuggle Princess Peach through a dystopian version of the Mushroom Kingdom.

Currently, the role is played by Guardians of the Galaxy actor Chris Pratt, with Charlie Day as Luigi and Anya Taylor-Joy as Peach.

Though the film is being produced by Illumination, the studio behind the Despicable Me franchise, fans are less than happy about the upcoming feature.

Many have criticised Pratt’s casting in favour of veteran voice actor Charles Martinet, who has voiced Mario since the late Eighties.

Pratt has also come under fire for not having a faux Italian accent, which has become a trademark of the character.

By comparison, Pascal delivers Mario’s catchphrases in an albeit quite dramatic version of his signature accent.

Moviestore Collection Ltd / Alamy Stock Photo

Though very tongue-in-cheek, the short was an immediate hit with Super Mario fans who took to social media and begged for Pascal to be cast as the lead instead.

One even joked on Twitter: “…it’s not too late to replace chris pratt with pedro pascal as mario, right?????”.

Others quickly followed, with another fan tweeting: “i’m not even joking…pedro pascal mario is infinitely better than chris pratt mario”.

Many even stated that his SNL sketch would be better than the upcoming feature.

NBC

One tweet read: “The Pedro Pascal #SNL Mario bit is going to be better than the actual Mario movie”

While some fans chose to goad Pratt after the much-hyped sketch, with another fan writing: “…looking forward to cpratt's awkward and overwrought response to people deciding pedro pascal should've been mario after tonight's snl lmao”.

Even gaming journalists have struggled to hide their enthusiasm, with MoblieSyrup's editor Brad Shankar stating: “Pedro Pascal as #Mario isn’t something I ever knew I needed, but now it’s all I want. #TheLastOfUs #SNL.”

Pascal had actually been mentioned as a potential candidate for the role, with one Reddit thread fan casting him and director Taika Waititi as the moustachioed brothers.

However, that dream will likely never happen as neither will appear in the upcoming movie, which is set to debut later this year on 7 April 2023.

• Chris Pratt responds to fan backlash over him playing Mario
• Chris Pratt responds to criticism over his Mario voice for The Super Mario Bros. Movie
• Super Mario Bros. directors explain why Chris Pratt is perfectly cast as Mario
• Chris Pratt was 'surprised' by the backlash he got for his Super Mario voice