The image above has been removed at the request of NBCUniversal
The image above has been removed at the request of NBCUniversal

We’re less than two days away from the reveal of the first trailer for the Super Mario Bros. movie from Illumination, and yesterday brought us the very first official artwork from the film. It showed us what Mario looked like from the back, but of course, fans have been eager to see what Mario looks like front-on. It seems we may have gotten a peek at that through a leak, and it comes from a strange place.

As you well know, plenty of fast food restaurants love to do tie-ins with big movies coming out, especially when they can pair them with kids meals. McDonald’s is probably the biggest restaurant to put together these campaigns, and they’ve done so with Nintendo multiple times in the past.

Why am I talked about McDonald’s? Well, the image above supposedly comes from a McDonald’s promotional material in Australia. This kind of material details up-and-coming collaborations and tie-ins McDonald’s has in the pipeline. You can see the full image as it was shared below.

It’s certainly not outlandish to think that Illumination, Nintendo and McDonald’s would work together to promote the Super Mario Bros. movie in some way. Along with that, we’ve seen marketing materials leak game details and artwork for projects before the public gets to see them, so it’s not completely crazy to think this could happen with the Super Mario Bros. movie.

The most important thing to note is that we all know how the internet works. There’s a not-insignificant amount of people out there who love to cook up fakes for internet clout. That could very well be the case with what’s going on here. Then again, it could be legit. We honestly have no idea, but we’ll all get the answer when the Super Mario Bros. Movie Nintendo Direct airs on Oct. 6th, 2022 at 4:05 PM ET!

Thanks to NintendoJam and OliviaRosas for the heads up!

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Comments (14)

the8bitlego

1+ y ago

The real question is will Mcdonalds bring back the Mcpizza to promote the movie?
For the record I do think this is real, or at the very least an elaborate fake. Mario's gloves amd much of the stitching match up with the poster we got this morning.


jake_a

1+ y ago

I don't like to be negative but I kinda hate it. I'm still very eager to see the trailer though.

Edit: Hate is a strong word but he looks off.

Edited 1 time

kuribo

1+ y ago

Spoiler! Mario has Mario’s face lol


sdsichero

1+ y ago

Looks a little odd, but not horrible. Best to see it in motion. Guess he goes though a costume change because the hat is different in the poster…


sligeach_eire

1+ y ago

If that's real, then it's not atrocious, but it's not entirely perfect either. There's something off about it. I'm not entirely sure what it is. You could probably nitpick a lot. Mario's nose seems a little big. His lips are skin coloured. He has this massive natural looking moustache, but then his eyebrows are painted on. His head seems rather large. Eh, who knows? Maybe, any little worries will all fade away when we see him in motion.


cortjezter

1+ y ago

My first impression: looks like a cosplay off shot. As in, 90s-era mascot. No judgement. 🤷🏻‍♂️


noxide

1+ y ago

@jake_a

I know what you mean, the hands need to be bigger.


marl0

1+ y ago

It certainly looks like Mario, but it's also different enough that it looks awkward. Like an uncanny valley effect of sorts, but with a cartoon rather than realism.


the_crimson_lure

1+ y ago

I have to believe this is a fake; the proportions are all off compared to the official poster already revealed. (Arms too long, head too small.)


sligeach_eire

1+ y ago

Mario is coming to cinemas sooner than you think, this Halloween. 🎃 Someone with Photoshop skills could have a field day with the supposed leaked movie material image. Change Mario's eyebrows and stick some weapons in his hands.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FeUDCgjXEAQngn8.jpg


kingbroly

1+ y ago

It looks alright to me.


riftsilver

1+ y ago

It looked a bit off when I first saw it, but the longer I look the less it looks weird to me. If this is the real design, I think it'll work well and people will feel a lot better about it when they see it in motion.


hawk

1+ y ago

His eyes are definitely at a different proportion than we're used to. But if it's real, I think I can get used to it. I think it'll look better in motion. Plus, we're getting a bit of an odd upward shot of his face.

...Before even finishing this comment, I've looked back at the picture four or five times and mostly gotten used to it. I don't mind it at all. There may also be some good reasons that Movie Mario looks distinct from Game Mario.


the_king_up_north

1+ y ago

This Mario model reminds me of those fan-made Unreal Engine demos that feature recreations of Nintendo characters/environments.

Regardless, like the others here, I am still interested in seeing how the new Mario movie looks in action.

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