Go ahead and mark your calendars. Keegan-Michael Key is talking about the Mario movie future, and what the animated movie star is saying about the next chapter is going to make a lot of fans very happy. The Toad voice actor has been making the rounds promoting the digital release of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, and somewhere in the middle of all that, the Keegan-Michael Key Mario Movie connection came front and center again as he let slip what a lot of fans have been dying to know. A third movie. Roughly 2029. And before anyone starts groaning about the wait, he has a pretty reasonable explanation for it.
The short version is that the people making these films are not the type to throw something together just because the last one made a billion dollars. Key told ScreenRant the creative team wants to get it right, full stop. He was echoing something Jack Black had already said publicly, so at this point it sounds less like a vague answer and more like an actual guiding philosophy over at Nintendo and Illumination. The Mario movie 2029 release window would also keep things moving on roughly the same timeline as the gap between the first two films.
From a Really Good Bet to an Undeniable Franchise
Here is something worth remembering. When The Super Mario Bros. Movie hit theaters in 2023, smart money was not on it becoming one of the highest grossing animated films ever. Video game movies had spent years earning their bad reputation. Even Mario came with genuine uncertainty attached. Part of what made it land differently was the voice cast. The Hollywood comedian behind Toad was a big reason that character clicked.
What happened instead was something pretty remarkable. The Mario franchise actor who voices Toad was part of a cast that genuinely surprised people. Audiences felt that energy from the very first trailer.
1.3 billion dollars worldwide. One of the biggest animated openings ever. Audiences kept coming back and brought new people with them. Chris Pratt voiced Mario. Jack Black played Bowser. Charlie Day, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Seth Rogen rounded out a cast with real chemistry. And then Black performed “Peaches” and somehow ended up in the awards conversation. That still feels slightly surreal to type.
The bigger shift was what the movie did for Hollywood’s thinking on gaming adaptations. It stopped being a question of whether they could work. It became a conversation about how good they could actually get. The Super Mario actor behind Toad was among those who helped make that argument impossible to ignore.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie Did Not Come to Play It Safe
A lesser franchise would have basically made the same movie twice and called it a day. Nintendo and Illumination had other ideas, and the Mario movie voice cast came back ready to go bigger.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie swung for something much larger, pulling Mario and the gang into full cosmic adventure territory and introducing Princess Rosalina as a character fans of the games had genuinely been hoping to see. The Toad actor and the rest of the returning cast brought the same energy that made the first film work, while the Mario Galaxy film expanded things with one of the most impressive ensemble additions a franchise sequel has pulled off in recent memory. Donald Glover. Brie Larson. Glen Powell. Issa Rae. Luis Guzmán. Somehow it all fits together without the movie collapsing under its own weight.
And then there is the box office. Nearly one billion dollars since April, making the Illumination Mario movie the top earning theatrical release of 2025 so far. That is not residual goodwill from the first film carrying things. That is a franchise that has figured out something genuinely rare. Credit goes to the entire Mario movie voice cast, and the Keegan-Michael Key Mario Movie factor is a big part of why Toad has become such a fan favorite along the way. It works for little kids, for adults who grew up playing these games, and for people who have never touched a Nintendo controller in their lives. That kind of broad appeal does not happen by accident.
On the Third Mario Movie and Why 2029 Actually Makes Sense
Studios are not naturally patient creatures. When something succeeds at the level The Super Mario Galaxy Movie has, the default instinct is to get the next one out fast and keep that momentum going. The animated movie star at the center of this conversation clearly sees things differently.
This is where the Keegan-Michael Key Mario Movie dynamic becomes really interesting. The comedian and Super Mario actor made pretty clear that rushing is not the mentality driving the people actually building this franchise. Key talked about directors Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic with obvious respect, describing two filmmakers deeply invested in every piece of the world they have created. By his own account, being part of the Mario movie voice cast is not just a voice acting gig. There is genuine care involved from everyone at the table.
Will some fans wish the Mario Bros sequel was coming sooner? Of course. That is what happens when a franchise is actually good. But part of the reason these movies feel different from a typical studio cash grab is precisely because the people behind them seem allergic to rushing. The Keegan-Michael Key Toad performance has become one of the most beloved parts of the entire series, and that kind of character work takes real time and investment to get right.
If the Nintendo animated sequel lands in 2029 on schedule, it will have had the time it needs to be something worth waiting for. The Mario franchise actor and his creative partners have earned that patience, and based on the track record so far, the wait will almost certainly be worth it.
No official announcement has come yet from Nintendo, Illumination, or Universal. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is available right now to rent or purchase digitally, with the Blu-ray and DVD dropping June 16.
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