Nintendo and Illumination have added another big name to The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, with Glen Powell set to voice Fox McCloud. The reveal comes right after official promo material confirmed Fox would appear in the film, which hits theaters on April 1.
On paper, Fox McCloud makes a lot of sense for a movie built around the Galaxy side of Mario. He is one of Nintendo’s most recognizable space-based characters, so dropping him into a cosmic Mario story feels less random than it might have in a standard Mushroom Kingdom sequel. It also gives the movie a way to feel bigger without losing the family-friendly blockbuster appeal that made the first film such a massive hit.
What makes this reveal interesting is not just the casting, but what it suggests. For years, fans have wondered when Nintendo would start letting its movie universe stretch beyond isolated franchises. A Fox McCloud appearance does not automatically mean a Super Smash Bros. movie is around the corner, but it does make that conversation feel a lot less theoretical. Once you start putting a Star Fox lead into a Mario movie, people are naturally going to look at the bigger board.
Powell is also a smart pick for this kind of role. He has the kind of confident, polished screen presence that can translate well into animation, especially for a character like Fox, who needs to come across as cool, capable, and instantly readable to audiences who may not know much about Star Fox. This feels like casting meant to make Fox land with longtime Nintendo fans and general moviegoers at the same time.
That may be the real story here. More than a fun cameo, this looks like Nintendo testing how far audiences are willing to follow it across franchises. If Fox works, the door opens even wider. If nothing else, it gives The Super Mario Galaxy Movie a stronger identity before release and a much bigger conversation around what Nintendo’s movie future could look like.
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