Longtime Mario voice actor Charles Martinet will now not voice the beloved plumber, however his function with the franchise isn’t fairly over. In a video launched this week, Martinet and Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto defined that the actor will basically grow to be a mascot—persevering with to satisfy followers at occasions worldwide, starting with the discharge of Super Mario Bros. Wonder on October 20.

Still, the model of Mario that followers have heard for the previous 30 years is not any extra. Martinet has been each “let’s-a-go” and “mama mia” since Super Mario 64, in addition to characters like Luigi, Waluigi, and Wario. Nintendo introduced the information on Twitter in August, however particulars had been scant.

The assertion, simply two paragraphs lengthy, defined that 67-year-old Martinet would transfer right into a brand-new function as Mario ambassador. Until this week, precisely what that function was had been unclear—apparently even to Martinet himself, who told a conference viewers he had no thought what it was. Now, his function as globe-trotting mascot is a bit clearer. Though there are nonetheless no particulars on who will exchange him because the voice of the world’s most well-known plumber.

It’s laborious to discover a extra iconic actor in video video games than Martinet, connected to a long-running, profitable franchise like Mario. Hundreds of video games, infinite merch, motion pictures, and extra—Martinet’s voice is on par with characters like Pikachu or Mickey Mouse when it comes to recognition. And it’s a task Martinet has completed with infinite enthusiasm. “I want to voice Mario until I drop dead,” Martinet said in 2021. “If someday I think I am no longer capable of doing it, I will tell Nintendo to look into finding someone else.”

It’s a giant function for somebody to fill, and followers have a eager ear. After new footage from Super Mario Bros. Wonder was launched, fans questioned whether or not or not Martinet nonetheless voiced the character. Nintendo has since confirmed that Martinet is not going to be the voice of Mario within the upcoming launch.

Nintendo had already begun to maneuver away from utilizing Martinet as their frontman. When Mario and Luigi hit the big screen this 12 months, they did so voiced by TV and movie actors Chris Pratt and Charlie Day. Martinet voiced two minor characters in a cameo function. His new job as an envoy is alongside the identical strains.

As for the brand new voice of Mario, Nintendo isn’t speaking. Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser lately advised IGN that the corporate has no intention of unveiling the brand new actor forward of Wonder’s launch. Players will “hear a different voice, and we’ll let that play out, and that’ll be within the credits.” If the sport’s trailers inform us something thus far, it’s that we are able to rule out one actor: Chris Pratt.