Super Smash Bros. Movie Hopes Just Took a Hit

If you were hoping that Nintendo is quietly working up to an Avengers-style 'Nintendo Cinematic Universe,' complete with a full-blown Super Smash Bros. crossover movie, you might want to temper those expectations. Despite all the hype and box office domination from last year’s Super Mario Bros. Movie (yeah, the one that pulled in over a billion bucks worldwide), it turns out Nintendo and Illumination aren’t quite ready to mash all their iconic game characters into one mega film just yet.

Wait, How Did We Get Here?

First, a little context. Nintendo and Illumination (the folks behind all those Minions movies) have been all-in on animated Mario adventures. The money was obviously great, so they made a sequel: Super Mario Galaxy Movie. This time, they started teasing out characters from other corners of the Nintendo universe—think Pikmin, ROB, and even Fox McCloud. That naturally got everyone speculating: is a Smash Bros. movie the next step?

So… Is It Happening?

Not so fast. In a recent chat with Polygon, Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto and Illumination boss Chris Meledandri pretty much burst the bubble. The short version? They’re not building towards a Nintendo mega-crossover, at least not on purpose.

When asked if we’re actually getting a full-on Smash Bros. situation, Miyamoto put it bluntly:

'Right off the bat, I’ll say that unlike something like Super Smash Bros., I don't think you'll have a situation [where] all Nintendo characters would be joining.'

In other words, don’t wait around for Link and Samus to team up with Mario. Miyamoto did give his usual quirky explanation that, yes, his rule is 'Pikmin can appear in any [Nintendo] series,' but overall, it sounds like cameos and Easter eggs are about as far as they’re willing to go right now.

He also made the point that Mario’s world is already plenty crowded, saying that they already have all they need to 'create a movie,' and the team just wanted to 'add a little bit of spice, a little bit of secret cameos here and there.' One character, apparently, is getting a way bigger surprise spotlight in Super Mario Galaxy Movie—so if you’re a sucker for the 'who’s-that?' moments, you’ll be happy.

Production Priorities: Fun Over Franchise-Building

As for Meledandri, he basically said their approach isn’t about plotting out some big shared universe at all. The way he sees it, what makes the cut is whatever would be fun in a specific scene. So if Nintendo crossovers do happen, it’s more of a happy accident than some giant Thanos-level master plan.

• The bottom line: Cameos and one-off crossovers? Sure. A big, interconnected Nintendo movie universe à la Marvel? Nope—not in the cards (yet).

Where to Watch

Super Mario Galaxy Movie is out now (premiering April 1 in the US), so if you want to catch all those blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameos, you know where to look. Just, you know, don’t be scanning the credits for Kirby battling Donkey Kong under a Marvel-style logo. Maybe someday… but definitely not today.