Based on the latest trailer for The Super Mario Bros. Movie, the movie is set to fix one of the biggest problems of the Mario franchise. Details about the overall plot of the film are still largely unknown at the moment, but going off of the trailer, part of the plot will involve Luigi being kidnaped by Bowser and Mario and Peach having to rescue him while simultaneously saving the Mushroom Kingdom. This follows the basic story of a Mario game, with the only difference being that it's one of the Mario brothers needing to be rescued instead of Peach.
2023's The Super Mario Bros. Movie flips the basic Mario formula, letting it avoid the franchise's big problem with Princess Peach. A big issue with Peach is that, more often than not, she's reduced to a damsel in distress, even when it doesn't make sense for her, but making Peach one of the heroes allows her to maintain agency in the movie that she often lacks in the games. Not only that, but the specific way that the film portrays her also avoids the problems of the one time Peach was the star of a game, and that works to make her portrayal even better.
Why Mario's Peach Always Being A Damsel Is A Problem
The two biggest reasons Mario's Princess Peach always being a damsel in distress is a problem is that it's a cliché, and it's become hard to justify over the years. Not only does the hero have to rescue the princess in an incredibly old plot, but Mario playing it straight so often just makes it more than tired at this point. Not only that, but games like Super Mario RPG and Super Mario 3D World have shown Peach being more than capable of handling things on her own without needing to be rescued, so the fact that so many games fall back on making her a damsel doesn't make sense.
Super Mario Bros Movie's Peach Fixes A Big Problem With Her Solo Game
Illumination's The Super Mario Bros. Movie not making Peach a damsel is a breath of fresh air, and it also fixes a big problem with her solo game, Super Princess Peach. While Super Princess Peach attempted to give Peach agency, her powers in the game revolved around her emotions as opposed to her physical abilities, as is the case with Mario. As a result, the game accidentally had an element of sexism to it by portraying women as overly emotional.
By comparison, The Super Mario Bros. Movie doesn't appear to be running into that same issue. With Peach having a spear as a weapon and donning her Fire Flower form, it's clear that this version of Peach will be far more action-oriented, which avoids the problems of her portrayal in 2006's Super Princess Peach. That, in addition to her not being the one needing to be rescued, goes a long way to fix Mario's problem of always making Peach a damsel, and the film will undoubtedly be all the better for it.