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- Primary Subject: The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (2026) Yoshi casting & details
- Key Update: Donald Glover has officially joined the cast as the voice of Yoshi for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.
- Status: Post-Production / Pre-release Marketing
- Last Verified: March 30, 2026
- Quick Answer: Donald Glover personally campaigned for the role of Yoshi by having his agent contact Illumination's CEO, Chris Meledandri, because of his lifelong love for Nintendo.
The Mushroom Kingdom is heading to the stars, and it's bringing a massive fan-favorite along for the ride. Donald Glover has officially joined the cast of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie as the voice of Yoshi, the dependable green dinosaur ally. Here's how he landed the role!
How Did Donald Glover Campaign to Voice Yoshi in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie?
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In a recent interview with ScreenRant, Jack Black, who's reprising his role as Bowser, and new star Donald Glover spoke about the upcoming sequel, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, and how the Mr. and Mrs. Smith star landed his role as Yoshi, the dinosaur ally.
When asked about the casting process, Black joked, "We were just talking about this. It doesn't feel cool to call out and reach out and say, 'Hey, I'd love to be part of your universe. Can I please come in?' You want to be invited in."
"Although that's exactly what I did. To be fair," Glover chimed in, before telling the whole story of how he got the part, "I literally hit up Chris [Meledandri], and I was like, 'I know y'all got to use Yoshi.' But they told me, 'He's just going to say, probably, 'Yoshi.' We're going to keep it very traditional.' I was like, 'I can be traditional.'"
Glover added that he simply called Chris Pratt, who plays the world-famous plumber Mario, and promised to keep the character's voice traditional, as Yoshi's voice has an iconically distinct pitch and tone recognizable to franchise fans.
Black reiterated that in Hollywood, it's crucial to "put yourself out there" and "let them know how much you want it."
What Fans Can Expect From The Super Mario Bros. Sequel
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie brings back the brotherly duo to face a whole new threat as they must stop Bowser Jr. from freeing his father, Bowser.
Apart from Toad and Princess Peach, Yoshi is part of the gang as a new loyal companion to Mario and Luigi, aka the dependable dino-pal who helps them explore outer space and gravity-defying planets.
In the sequel, they must venture into space far away from the Mushroom Kingdom, where they meet new characters: Rosalina (voiced by Brie Larson), Bowser Jr. (Safdie), Fox McCloud (Glenn Powell), and, with the highly anticipated entry from Wario or Waluigi, the greedy counterparts to the titular plumber brothers.
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