SURPRISE! 2 videos in one week!!! I spent literally 12 hours nonstop editing this video, I am utterly exhausted and I will never work this hard again in my life. This series has been one of my favourites to make, and when I started I never imagined that I could make one about Mario, since you know, his voice hadn't changed. Cut to 2 and a half years later, and things are a little different now... I hope you enjoy the video, I am going to go get some much deserved sleep :)

I guess it’s kinda fitting that Charles Martinet’s last performance is him playing Mario’s father, calling out “These are my boys!”

You can't deny; succeeding Charles Martinet is such a daunting task. It's genuinely on the level of choosing a successor for Mel Blanc for Looney Tunes back in the day. I'm glad to see the positive reception Kevin Afghani has been getting; hopefully it makes them feel relieved. Still, Charles Martinet retiring is such a weird thing. We all knew it was going to happen eventually, but still, he invented Mario's voice, Luigi's voice AND characterization, among many others in the series, and he has been doing Mario's voice for 30 years (SM64 wasn't his first time playing him). We all just took for granted that he was Mario - it was just a fact of life.

Seeing Kevin get a majority of positive feedback is so wholesome. Must have been daunting on him to get hate and I would say 95% are cool with him

I'm going to miss Charles. I'm glad most of us grew up with him while we did.

I met Charles myself, grew up with his voice, and was kind of resistant to this idea of the voice changing, even because the voice itself was slightly off, but the idea of a new and upcoming actor who grew up inspired by Charles’ role… carrying on that legacy with a sense of unbridled passion That kinda idea speaks to me and makes me want to root for Kevin!

honestly, the last line Charles did for a Mario project being "These are my boys!" is really sweet, i think. Mario and Luigi are his boys, they have been for so long now. Charles gave them a voice, a personality, a life of their own that has inspired a generation of fans for decades. he's proud of them, they're his boys! they're his little guys! they've spread so much joy and happiness around the world and he's so proud of them for that! i think that's a nice sendoff :) it's as if Charles is passing down the torch with pride and joy, and hopes that Kevin will continue that tradition of giving the Mario Brothers the life and spark they've always had. and from what we've heard so far out of Mario Wonder, i think he's done a wonderful job at it :)

Dang, Mario's new voice actor JUST got revealed and you already have a video ready for it. 😂

im gonna miss charles but kevin does a great job at marios voice

It’s sad that Charles stopped voicing Mario, considering he wanted to voice Mario till he died.

We will remember the Mario voice and his most iconic line ever: “So long, gay bowser!”

I really hope one day we get to hear the original tape Charles recorded, I'd love to hear the first time Mario's voice came to life :)

Goodness…I won’t lie, I tear up thinking about Charles no longer voicing the single most important video game character in my life. I was a HUGE fan of Mario in my youth and that actually continues to this day. In school, I wrote about Mario for a school project at a very, very young age. As a teenager, I ended up with an original Donkey Kong arcade game in my home. When I was expecting my son, I was bedridden…and to keep myself company? Why, I played Super Mario 64. When my son was born in ‘02? I purchased the Nintendo Wii and would play Super Mario Sunshine while my son napped. And, that love of this character was passed down to my son as well. We’ve spent hours bonding while playing all of the various Mario games. Charles, and his ever so iconic voicing of my favorite video game character, is a very special part of my life. I’ve loved the character since I was a child, and that was well before Charles brought Mario to “life”. But, once Mario “spoke” to the world, it was through Charles. And in my opinion, no one can ever truly replace him.

im really glad to hear afghani finds the art of games and animation important, it’s good to have someone who appreciates his gig on that level. as for his voice, my reaction to hearing the first wonder trailer was “martinet sounds a bit different here, huh” so i’d say he’s slotting into the role(s) really well.

Charles, a beginner voice actor with little experience took up voicing Mario, starting out with voicing him at events before taking on the role of voicing him in the games..... and decades later, he gracefully semi-retires, going back to voicing Mario at events, and a new voice actor with little experience takes the role. It's beautifully poetic.

A thing I like about having someone as young as Kevin taking on the role is that... a lot of young adults can relate to him! Not that Charles was ever non-approachable, but he's from a different age. Meanwhile Kevin really is a fresh sound for the character. Not that most people would know about the actor behind. But Kevin being able to get an insanely huge role like this is really good inspiration for any young voice actor! Also fun fact: Kevin was born the same year that Super Mario 64 was released!

"I *really* hope you enjoyed this special episode of-" damn that hit me so deep, so profound, such impactful words!

Wow, Thomas really didn't skip a beat when Kevin started voicing Mario.

I really Like the new Mario voice, but Charles Martinet, Will remain in my Heart♥️

Kevin is the perfect choice for the New Mario's Voice, Passionate, talented, friendly and energetic, he fits perfectly, for the role, sounds similar, but yet unique enough to give a cheerful vibe.

I wish Mr. Afghani the best in the future. I actually really love this new Mario voice from what I've heard. I think Mario as a character needed some new blood for a while, as precious as Martinet is. I can't wait to see Kevin's voice grow in years to come

Yeah honestly I was shocked that Charles stepped down, & weirdly the way I found out was through the radio. Me & my family were coming home from a trip, we had just gotten on the road & within minutes the radio we were listening to began talking about how he had stepped down earlier that day, & how Nintendo was very vague with their response to this. I think it's cool that this was such a big thing that radio hosts were talking about it, it shows how much Charles really meant to everybody, but knowing how old he is it was definitely the right choice. He was going to step down eventually, this was just obvious since nobody lives forever, & now we've actually reached the day he stepped down. It's sort of surreal, you know? But I'm happy for Kevin, he sounds better than Chris Pratt did & more than that. He may be new to this, but he'll get the hang of it surely. Here's hoping Kevin lasts a very long time, as long as Charles.

I think that it has been wonderful that the whole Nintendo fandom has been accepting and also supportive of Kevin (from what I've seen so far.) It's been a great transition. And I think it's even better Charles is still around, celebrating his love and appreciation for Mario. No bitter ending, no harsh reality, no fiting, nothing. This is a wonderful thing.

It's gonna take me a while to get used to it. But I think Kevin can nail it. He definitely has the potential for doing a great mario. :)

16:33 They didn't have to; at the end they had narrowed it down to Kevin and Mick, choosing the latter because they could find clips of him that sounded similar. A confirmation that it wasn't Mick essentially guaranteed that it was Kevin.

After 2 years, we officially got the sequel we never expected to see

1993 movie Mario played by Bob Hoskins is the most scuffed and my favorite Mario, I’m surprised that it wasn’t mentioned

Great video, as usual, but you left out that Kevin Afghani has been the voice of the headlines at Nintendo Directs for a long time now, not just the commercial he put in the demos on his website (and which was shown in this video )

I met Charles Martinet at a con and I cannot think of someone who was happier to meet folks and do the Mario (and friends) voice. Very amazing guy.

The video we all thought would never come! Thank you Charles for all you’ve done!

One of these days, I'd love to see a video on why Shao Khan doesn't sound like he used to. His lines from the original Mortal Kombat trilogy were so iconic and menacing, and the reason they switched to a new VA for Shao is rather uncommon knowledge.

I've always dreaded that one day Mario would need to get a new voice actor. But based on the clips I have seen of Wonder I think Kevin has done a good job and the transition will be easier than I thought.

Charles made the childhoods for millions, including mine. I wish him only happiness and success. Kevin seems like a great successor so far. Eventually he’ll become the newer generation’s Mario and become beloved like Charles was for us.

It was right when ssb brawl came out i noticed marios cries and grunts where really quiet and subdued than what it used to be. I just chalked it up to maybe audio quality but i still could hear charles age coming through and i knew the day would come when he would have to step down. I dreaded the day and it finally came. But after everything hes done over the years for this long, he definitely needs the rest.

You don't know how much I was waiting for your video on the topic! Thank you!

Kevin had some serious shoes to fill, and he did it well.

It is going to take some getting used to because Martinez’s voice was iconic, but I hope Afghani gets to do the role for potentially decades to come, just like his predecessor, which will give us plenty of time to adjust to the new sound for the plumbers.

i always thought of Charles Martinet as the Robin Williams of Voice Acting and he still is. im kinda sad that he's retired

Love your thorough videos with a positive vibe! Very nice.

I'm really going to miss Charles Martinet as the voice of Mario. His voice shall always remain the definitive one of Mario. It's good to know though that the successor is doing a great job and I'm excited to see what he will do with his role. Also, you cut the end short it seems 😅

I was born before Mario had a voice, so I experienced the full 30 years of Charles and I will always be thankful for the work he did and he will always be Mario in my heart

Great video keep up the good work btw I like your new style please do more

i’m excited to see what kevin afghani does with the role. he’s definitely a really competent actor, and he seems to genuinely love the art of voice acting. i think it’s an interesting new take, but it’s definitely going to take some time to adjust to the new sound. charles will always be the best, but kevin has some serious potential.

This video came too soon, I cried when I saw the thumbnail. Nonetheless, I watched it as usual, so thank you. I just wanna mention a few extra details. Martinet is who characterized Mario. Nintendo had a general idea of how Mario would be, but Martinet came up with the idea that Mario would never say that you’re failing or anything. I believe his last new voice clips before The SMB Movie were in Luigi’s Mansion 3. In an interview with Miyamoto and Meladandri, they said how they had a picture of the characters’s movie models, with voice clips of chosen actors playing over them, and just picked the voices that fit best. It’s kinda funny to me knowing now that Pratt was going to do something different than his own voice when he was chosen for his voice 😂. Lastly, Mario isn’t just the most iconic videogame protagonist. He’s literally the most popular character on Earth. In an early 2010’s article, Mickey surpassed Jesus in popularity. I forget when, but Mario then surpassed Mickey. Anyway, as for why they chose Afghani, I think him being younger is a great choice, since Mario is definitely not going anywhere, so he’s doing another 40 years like Martinet did. Weird to think about, but he’ll be there after Miyamoto is gone. I don’t want to cry about that yet.

So.... now instead of 1 Mario voice, we have 3.

"Chris Pratt, who had about as much in common with Mario as he did with the Queen of England..." Well, they were both alive at the time!

I know you were working HARD after the new voice actor was confirmed. Excellent video, enjoy your break

You didn't mention that the first Mario voice by Charles Martinet appeared in the pinball machine created by the American company Gottlieb in 1922.

I've always been waiting for a video from this channel about Mario's voice and it finally came

FINALLY, IVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS VIDEO

the "little computer joke" was so cute tho

Charles Martinet, will always remain in my heart and will be always marios voice for me

It was only inevitable that this video was made, just didn't expect it to be so soon Thank you Charles and welcome welcome Kevin!!

Charles Martinet the voice of Wario, Waluigi, Giuseppe the Jump, Mario's father and Mario and Luigi Mario. We will miss him and remember him in our hearts. Kevin Z Afghani join the Super Mario universe voicing Mario and Luigi I can wait to hear him voice them in new games soon. I enjoy this a lot thank you for the video.

idk what some people were thinking when they thought kevin wouldnt do the best job voicing mario. that voice sounds identical to charles' voice as mario

Thomas always comes through for us!!

awesome video man

Kevins mario and Luigi is actually really good. Im very glad they found someone to fill the roll so well. I look forward to seeing what he does for wario and waluigi

Well because on the Mario movie Charles Martinet voices Mario and Luigi that if you voiced a long on the same person it cause a breath issue.

12:28 Correction, his last line was a wahoo from the Jumpman based character from the start of the movie. Now saying it again at the end.

9:19 mmv2 has tooken over my mind

Charles will always be iconic

Charles saying "These are my boys" as his last line in Mario media was touching You will be missed Charles

Switch commercial sounds like Sonic

thank you Tom for this video.

"…I really hope you enjoyed this special episode of -" *video abruptly ends.*

I love these Mario voice actors!

Mario's new voice is wonderful. And just like it was pointed out in this video, his new voice is so good that I didn't even notice there was a change! I'm very excited for the future.

A year ago, I never thought I'd be seeing one of these for Mario.

Wow your video upload schedule has ramped up hasn't it? Hope to see more but don't work yourself too hard!

Here’s hoping Kevin can live up the Charles’ legacy because he sounds pretty decent so far.

GOSH ITS FINALLY OUT THIS IS THE OUT YOU’VE BEEN WAITING FOR

i find it interesting that nintendo decided to give mario and luigi to the same voice actor again. luigi now has much more of his own chsracter with luigis mansion etc. as he had when charles martinet took on both roles. so it wouldv'e made sense to seperate these voices

Alternate short answer: because he old and microphones are dozen times better than 1996

man, this is really sad. i've always loved mario, his voice will never be the same.

Was looking for this video

Man, I _wonder_ why

Thomas game docs being ecstatic about the news of charles martinet stepping down as voice of mario (he can now make a “why does mario sound different” video):

bro's tryna get me to cry over MARIO of all things.. great documentation of Mario's voice actors over the years..

Bowser be like: Why hace the castle WHEN I CAN BECOME THE CASTLE

The long awaited entry!

Damn, that was quick. Already doing the new voice actor thing for the new guy.

Goodbye, Charles Martinet, you will be missed.

It's about time Thomas

I played Wonder with Luigi and he did such an awesome job, his voice sounded like Luigi with a hint a freshness to it

youve been waiting ur whole life for this gag havent u xD

I am so happy we got a great new VA for mario. After hearing charles so many years it was time for a new man. And its obvious. No one lasts forever. Kevin for his FIRST GAME (Wonder) did a PERFECT job. Normally he should have sounded less that good. But he surpassed the expectations of average beginners. Again a reminder THAT IS HIS FIRST GAME!!!!!

I miss the original voice actor of Mario but at the same time I was waiting for this video.

That was a nice one!

LETS GO! NEW VIDEO

i couldve sworn this was already a video? im demention

We all know Charles voice just can't be replaced. That soul, happiness and warmth in his voice is what generations grew up with hearing. They are boots too big to be filled. Nonetheless Nintendo keeps releasing great games and Nintendo is such a creative company, I'm sure their games will be loved continuesly.

Charles Martinet is a legend.

Man I'm just sad that later kids won't be able to experience what Mario's voice used to be Charles did such a great job I'm happy that the voice we have right now is still very close

A salute to Charles Martine for voicing Mario for 29 years

I just preordered Mario Wonder can't wait to play it

Kevin Afghani sounds fantastic as Mario! Can't wait to hear more from him as both Mario AND Luigi!

I will absolutely miss Charles as Mario He will always be our Mario❤❤

What is this? Thomas Game Docs releasing two videos in less than a week!?! I love this more than I'd love to see you nekkid, cutie. ;) ❤❤😂🎉

I wonder if Martinet ever called Kevin and spoke into his voicemail: Thank you for taking over my game, wohoo