If you needed any more reason to be excited about The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, here it is: Glen Powell is officially voicing Fox McCloud from Star Fox.
The announcement came just one day after Fox McCloud’s inclusion in the film was even confirmed, which made the reveal feel like a one-two punch of great news.
Powell broke it himself with an Instagram video, jumping through theater seats and past character posters before landing on Fox, all set to classic Mario music. It’s a fun, self-aware way to make an entrance, and it tells you everything you need to know about the energy he’s bringing to the role.
Now, think about this for a second. Cool under pressure. Charming with a hint of cockiness. A hotshot pilot who flies his way out of impossible situations. That’s Fox McCloud, sure, but it’s also basically Jake “Hangman” Seresin from Top Gun: Maverick.
The overlap between Powell’s most iconic live-action role and this beloved Nintendo character isn’t just a fun coincidence, it’s what makes this casting feel so right. Whether or not he leans into that energy with his voice performance remains to be seen, but the fit on paper is hard to argue with.
Powell isn’t new to animation, either. He previously voiced Bostick in Richard Linklater’s rotoscoped Apollo 10½: A Space Age Childhood, and that film’s space-age setting keeps a certain thematic thread going here.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is going full intergalactic, and Fox McCloud, leader of the Star Fox squadron, slots right into that world. Powell voicing him makes that addition feel even more intentional.
Beyond this movie, there’s a bigger picture worth paying attention to. Fan speculation around a potential Super Smash Bros. film has been circulating for a while now, and Fox McCloud, a Smash staple, would obviously have a place in that project.
If Nintendo is planting seeds, Powell’s involvement gives any future Star Fox adjacent project a recognizable, marketable name already attached to the character. That’s smart long-term thinking, whether it’s planned or just a happy byproduct.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie already had some serious additions to its voice cast. Donald Glover as Yoshi and Brie Larson as Rosalina is great casting. Powell joining that lineup doesn’t just add another recognizable face. It adds someone whose personality feels genuinely suited to the character he’s playing.
Fox McCloud is making his big screen debut after 33 years as a Nintendo fan favorite. With Glen Powell giving him a voice, that debut is off to a very promising start.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie hits theaters April 1st, 2026.
