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Charles Martinet stopped recording character voices for Nintendo games in 2023 and became a Mario Ambassador. Nintendo later confirmed Kevin Afghani as Mario’s new voice actor; he voiced Mario and Luigi in Super Mario Bros. Wonder.
What changed in Nintendo’s announcement?
On August 21, 2023, Nintendo of America announced that Martinet would step back from recording character voices for Nintendo games and take on a newly named role, Mario Ambassador. Martinet had voiced Mario, Luigi, Wario and Waluigi in Nintendo games. Nintendo thanked him, saying, “It’s been a privilege working with Charles to help bring Mario to life for so many years and we want to thank and celebrate him.” (AP News, August 21, 2023)
The announcement did not name a successor or explain why Martinet was stepping away from recording game voices. Nintendo’s statement offered thanks, not a reason; claims that the change was due to age, health, performance or a conflict are not established by the cited reporting.
Who is the new voice of Mario?
Nintendo later confirmed Kevin Afghani as Mario’s new voice actor. Afghani said he voiced both Mario and Luigi in Super Mario Bros. Wonder, which launched for Nintendo Switch on October 20, 2023. The confirmation was reported on October 13, before the game’s release. (Game Informer, October 13, 2023)
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This establishes the handoff for Wonder; it does not provide a basis for ranking Afghani’s performance against Martinet’s. Martinet’s move away from recording character voices for Nintendo games and Afghani’s work in the new game are the reported facts.
What does “Mario Ambassador” mean?
The title was announced, but its practical scope was not clear in the early accounts. At a GalaxyCon Austin panel reported by Nintendo Life on September 5, 2023, Martinet said he did not yet know what the role involved. He also clarified that he was not retired as a voice actor generally. His remarks described an expected opportunity to represent Nintendo and Mario, but do not establish the role’s later duties or terms. (Nintendo Life, September 5, 2023)
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Timeline of the transition
- August 21, 2023: Nintendo of America announced Martinet’s transition to Mario Ambassador and did not identify a successor or state a reason, according to AP.
- September 5, 2023: Martinet said he did not yet know the ambassador role’s scope and was not retired as a voice actor generally, according to Nintendo Life’s account of his panel remarks.
- October 13, 2023: Nintendo’s confirmation of Kevin Afghani as Mario’s new voice actor was reported by Game Informer.
- October 20, 2023: Super Mario Bros. Wonder, featuring Afghani voicing Mario and Luigi, released for Nintendo Switch, according to Game Informer.
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