Jack Black Teases Bowser's Theme for Next Super Mario Bros. Movie

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Kung Fu Panda 4's Jack Black says The Super Mario Bros. Movie sequel should sideline the titular heroes and instead shift focus on his character's revenge story.

Jack Black told /Film that he's already visualized what the next Super Mario Bros. Moviewould look like. Nintendo fans fondly remember the film as a surprise hit at the box officewith more than $1.3 billion earned worldwide to date. Universal Pictures has yet to greenlight a sequel but fans are already eager for a tease of its plot; the post-credits scene of the first film did hint that Yoshi would be introduced to the story at some point. When asked about his ideas for the sequel, Black quipped it should all be about Bowser's comeback. The character's plans were thwarted in the last movie but is far from defeated in keeping with his recurring story arcs in the Mario video games.

"I think the next Super Mario [movie] if it ever happens should be called Bowser's Revenge," Black said. This is hardly Bowser's first time as the main character in the Mario franchise, as he has been cast as protagonist, competitor, and as a reluctant ally in games like the Super Smash Bros. and Mario Kart video game series, Paper Mario: The Origami King, and Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story. Apparently, Black wanted Bowser to have his redemption arc of sorts in the sequel to The Super Mario Bros. Movie, so much so that he revealed an unfinished followup to his "Peaches" earworm theme.

Jack Black Teases Bowser's Revenge Theme

Black proceeded to bring out his phone and played a snippet of the song, which he said he only started writing that morning. While the lyrics essentially jabbed at the 96th Academy Awards, it could just as easily have been a passage in Bowser's next monologue: "I can't believe I wasn't nominated, 'Peaches' wasn't even on the shortlist. Bowser shall have his revenge." Black added that the entire sequel should also be about Bowser raging about why he wasn't nominated at the Oscars, which confirmed "Peaches" was eligible for a nomination but failed to make it to the shortlist. "Peaches" did eventually earn its stripes with a nod for Best Original Song at the 81st Golden Globe Awards.

Black previously detailed his plot for the sequel, which he says should be a full-on musical like the much-anticipated Joker follow-up. "I think it should be a full musical, like what Todd Phillips is supposedly doing with Joker 2," he asserted. Film adaptations of video game IPs like Super Mario Bros. and Five Nights at Freddy's have seen a revival at the box office in recent years, spearheaded by 2019's Detective Pikachu and the two Sonic the Hedgehogmovies.