Charlie Day Calls His Shot: Danny DeVito as Wario in the Super Mario Sequel

Luigi voice actor Charlie Day has his Wario pick for a Super Mario threequel: Danny DeVito.

There’s a certain kind of casting rumor that just feels right, and I’ve got one for you: Charlie Day—yes, Luigi himself in the recent Mario movies—thinks his It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia buddy Danny DeVito would be perfect as Wario if the Super Mario movies finally bring Mario’s mustachioed mischief-maker into the fold. And honestly? That’s a pitch I can get behind.

Let’s Back Up: Mario’s Animated Redemption

Let’s take a second to appreciate how far we’ve come. After the trainwreck that was the 1993 Super Mario Bros. live-action adaptation, Illumination’s animated Super Mario Bros. Movie in 2023 actually delivered what fans wanted: Fun, references everywhere, and cameos stuffed into every frame. The sequel, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, doubled down on the Nintendo nerdery, but—surprisingly—one big name is still missing: Wario. Not a pixel, not a cackle, not even a suspicious gold coin glimmer.

Charlie Day Has a Dream Cast—And It’s DeVito

So here comes Charlie Day, who’s voiced Luigi in both films and has been sharing screen time (and shenanigans) with DeVito on It’s Always Sunny since 2006. In a chat with ScreenRant, Day dropped this very clear opinion:

'Danny [DeVito] would fit so well in this universe, and he would be a good Wario, I think.'

Hard disagree? Actually, it would be pretty hard to imagine a better fit. DeVito’s got the gruff voice, the comedic energy, and that 'I might steal your lunch money' vibe. He’s already done great character work in animation (see: The Lorax and even last year’s Migration, both with Illumination), plus, his live-action roles speak for themselves—Batman Returns, Twins, The War of the Roses, you know the hits.

Wario’s Resume, In Case You Need a Refresher

• First appeared as a villain and final boss in 1992’s Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
• Basically a chaotic, greedy doppleganger—a sort of anti-Mario, mustache and all
• Took on a starring role in games like Wario Land and WarioWare, evolving from bad guy to fan-favorite antihero
• Consistent supporting role in Mario Kart, Mario Party, and Super Smash Bros. Brawl
• Has his own skinny partner-in-crime, Waluigi (the purple one fans also won’t shut up about)

Fan Casting—Not Just Charlie Day’s Thing

Turns out Charlie Day isn’t alone on the DeVito for Wario train. Jack Black, who voices Bowser in the current animated films, also floated the idea pretty loudly after the first movie blew up last year. Considering the roster already includes Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong, Donald Glover as Yoshi, Glen Powell as Fox McCloud, and Brie Larson as Rosalina, adding DeVito would be basically par for the course for these movies.

A DeVito Nintendo Role: The Almosts

This wouldn’t be DeVito’s first run-in with the Nintendo rumor mill, by the way. When Pokémon: Detective Pikachu was in the pipeline, a ton of people wanted DeVito to voice Pikachu. Reportedly, the studio even used his voice in test footage, but that gig went to Ryan Reynolds (and, yeah, we all have opinions about that).

What’s Next?

Officially, we’re still waiting on a green light for a third Mario movie, but unless Illumination hits the brakes hard, it’s basically inevitable. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie has already put up a whopping $59 million domestically and $122 million globally in just two days—even while critics were busily dishing out lousy reviews. If (when) we see a third film, adding Wario is the obvious move. It would shake up the dynamic, give the writers something new to chew on, and, let's be honest, get the fans arguing online for months about who should play Waluigi.

So, Nintendo and Illumination, if you’re reading—just give DeVito the hat and let him loose. The man was born for the role (at least in my book).