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Charles Martinet Steps Back from Voice of Mario

Nintendo announced on Twitter on Monday that Charles Martinet is stepping back from recording voices for Mario and other characters. He will transition to the new role of "Mario Ambassador." The company stated that he will "continue to travel the world, sharing the joy of Mario and interacting with you all." Nintendo will post a special video message from Martinet and Mario's creator Shigeru Miyamoto at a future date.

Martinet is the voice actor of Mario, Luigi, Wario, Waluigi, among other characters, in Nintendo's Super Mario Bros. video game franchise. He began voicing Mario in 1991 at trade shows as a 3D Mario head on a screen that would talk to people. He voiced the character again in several smaller titles within the next few years. His first major Mario series game was Super Mario 64 in 1996. Martinet has voiced Mario and other characters in numerous mainline games and spinoffs since.

Although Martinet did not voice Mario in The Super Mario Bros. Movie, he had cameo roles as Giuseppe (who says Mario's iconic "Woohoo!" in the film) and Mario's dad.

Martinet played Magenta in Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, the second anime film in the Dragon Ball Super franchise.

Source: Nintendo's Twitter account via Gematsu