Warning: Some SPOILERS lie ahead for The Super Mario Bros. Movie
With audiences already celebrating the changes made to the character, Nintendo exec Shigeru Miyamoto explains how The Super Mario Bros. Movie made Peach a more active character. The animated film from Despicable Me studio Illumination is the second adaptation of the iconic Nintendo video game, following the titular plumber as he and his brother Luigi are transported to a magical world and Mario must save his brother and the Mushroom Kingdom from the villainous Bowser. Though scoring mixed reviews from audiences, The Super Mario Bros. Movie has been a smash hit with audiences.
In honor of the film's release, Screen Rant spoke exclusively with Shigeru Miyamoto to discuss The Super Mario Bros. Movie. When asked about bringing Princess Peach to life and how the film made changes to the typical damsel in distress, the Nintendo executive and game creator was glowing in his feelings on how Peach is shown in the movie, including her becoming a more active character, and how it may change further portrayals in the future. See what Miyamoto explained below:
There's a lot that I love seeing come to fruition on the big screen. I'll use Peach as an example: Peach, thus far, has been a representation of what needs to be saved. Because of that, we try to keep it pretty simple. We didn't add too many movements or too many facial expressions. Obviously, we made games that included Peach in other scenarios, but now that we have her in the movie, she has a wide range of facial expressions and emotion that really makes her human. Seeing that on the big screen reassured me that this is the Peach you want to see.
What The Super Mario Bros. Movie Could Mean For Peach's Future In Games
Well before the film's release, audiences were already over the moon for how The Super Mario Bros. Movie was changing Princess Peach from the damsel in distress the eponymous hero must save, first from Donkey Kong before he was officially named Mario and then primarily from Bowser. The trailers for the film promised a much more self-efficient version of the character, rallying Toads to assist in her fight against Bowser and able to wield a variety of power-ups herself, including the Fire Flower.
The actual Super Mario Bros. Movie largely lived up to this promise, showing Peach easily completing her training course, outwitting and briefly subduing Bowser during his attempt to marry her and taking out a multitude of enemies during the kart run across Rainbow Road. With the film's success essentially guaranteeing a sequel be produced, it seems likely this aspect will be further explored on film, but Miyamoto's feeling of being "reassured" an active Peach is what audiences want to see could end up spilling over into the future of the games.
Outside of sporting spinoffs and crossovers, Peach has largely remained a damsel in distress throughout the various Mario titles, though with Miyamoto clearly taking notice of the overwhelming response to The Super Mario Bros. Movie's more active portrayal of her could lead to future games incorporating this personality, or even to a spinoff of her own. One of the more interesting possibilities would be a situation similar to Luigi's Mansion, flipping the typical franchise formula and having Peach save Mario from an unknown threat rather than the reverse.