It’s-a sad day, as Charles Martinet retires as the voice of Mario

We never thought the day would come. In fact, it felt like Charles could do the role forever, but everything good has to end eventually. Nintendo announced today that prolific voice actor Charles Martinet is stepping down from his role as Mario, after voicing everyone’s favorite Italian plumber in every entry since Super Mario 64. His voice is in some of the best Switch platformers of all time.

Martinet is not only the voice of Mario but also Luigi, Wario, Waluigi, and several other denizens of the Mushroom Kingdom. He’s been busy and booked for nearly three decades now! Plus, while Chris Pratt took over the role for the Super Mario Bros Movie, Charles Martinet has a small part that pays homage to his legacy.

Nintendo released a statement announcing the news, which also reveals that Martinet is transitioning into a role as ‘Mario Embassador’ where he is set to travel the world sharing the joy of Mario. At the age of 69, perhaps Martinet is ready to retire, and when Nintendo has to pick a successor, they’ll have some mighty big boots to fill. Nintendo finished their statement saying “It has been an honor working with Charles to help bring Mario to life for so many years, and we want to thank and celebrate him.” Best wishes and good health to Charles Martinet, whatever he chooses to do next.

While Martinet is best known for his role as Mario, one of his greatest roles in recent memory is his turn as Wario in WarioWare Gold! Speaking in full sentences at times, you can just hear how much effort and character he put into the role, and you can get a glimpse of it with the dedicated trailer below.

That’s all we have on for today, but if you’re a huge platforming fan or want to hear more of Martinet’s work, be sure to check out our list of the best Mario games on Switch.