Nintendo has officially revealed Yoshi’s appearance in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, the upcoming animated sequel to 2023’s blockbuster hit The Super Mario Bros. Movie. The new film is scheduled to open in theaters on April 1, 2026, and will once again be produced by Nintendo and Illumination.
The reveal came via a newly released trailer shown during a recent Nintendo Direct presentation. While earlier trailers confirmed the sequel’s development, this latest footage provides the first clear look at Yoshi, who was previously teased in a post-credits scene of the 2023 film. In the trailer, Mario and Luigi encounter Yoshi after discovering a hatched egg while investigating a clogged pipe, marking the character’s formal introduction into the movie’s story.
In addition to Yoshi, the trailer confirms the appearances of several other familiar characters from the Mario franchise. Birdo makes her animated big-screen debut, shown battling Princess Peach by aggressively throwing eggs. Mouser, a rodent boss character from Super Mario Bros. 2, also appears. Lakitu is briefly seen in action, and Baby Mario and Baby Luigi are shown, though the context of their appearance remains undisclosed.
All four of my kids, ages 3 to 14, say this is their most anticipated film on my list of the 2026 kids’ movies I’m taking my kids to see in theaters. It might even be a repeat-worthy viewing in theaters if it lives up to the original. We’re all gamers, and my children are very familiar with the franchise’s characters, so seeing Yoshi and Birdo certainly has them all excited.
Check Out Yoshi In The New Super Mario Galaxy Movie Trailer
The sequel continues the story established in 2023’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which followed brothers Mario and Luigi after they were transported from the real world into the Mushroom Kingdom. The original film starred Chris Pratt as Mario, Charlie Day as Luigi, and Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, with Jack Black voicing Bowser and Keegan-Michael Key as Toad.
All of those actors are confirmed to return for the sequel. New cast additions include Benny Safdie as Bowser Jr. and Brie Larson as Rosalina, whose appearance marks the character’s first theatrical debut. As of now, Nintendo has not announced who will voice Yoshi.
The Super Mario Movie Was A Fan Favorite
The 2023 film received a 59% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, but fans loved it, giving it a solid 95% to make it one of the highest-rated movies from a fan perspective in 2023. The first animated Mario Bros. movie was also a major commercial success, earning more than $1.36 billion worldwide and becoming the highest-grossing video game adaptation of all time. That success helped cement Nintendo’s animated film strategy after the failure of the 1993 live-action Super Mario Bros. movie.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie will arrive exclusively in theaters on April 1, 2026.