Between the upcomingSuper Mario Bros. Movieand the continuing success of theSonic the Hedgehogadaptations, it’s beginning to seem more likely that Nintendo could find itself announcing aSuper Smash Bros.cinematic universe is underway. While the idea of a broad, crossover film universe isn’t new, the success ofMarvel’sAvengersfilmhas caused every major player in the entertainment scene to try and set up their own properties. While DC Comics is the obvious example, other odd instances exist like Universal Pictures' Dark Universe orThe Conjuring’sextended universe.
Recent video game movie adaptations have seen increasing success, despite a rough history of previous attempts. Not only does Nintendo have its upcomingSuper Mario Bros. Movie,it also has several animated and even live-actionPokemonmovies to draw from, as well as a longstanding relationship with Sega to negotiate Sonic’s involvement. With this in mind, Nintendo has the potential to create its own movie universe to rival competitors like the MCU through aSuper Smash Bros.Cinematic Universe.
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Nintendo’s Growing Interest in Movie Adaptations
While theSuper Mario Bros. Moviewill be its “first,” Nintendo has already confirmed plans to gradually expand into film with other flagship franchises in various interviews andcopyrights for future movies. ProvidedSuperMario’snew adventure on the big screen is more successful than its live-action attempt in 1993, this could prove to be more than just a single lucrative project for Nintendo. BeyondSuper Mario, many fans are hoping that the likes ofThe Legend of Zelda, Metroid,andFire Emblemwill receive the same treatment.
Though it might take time, it seems inevitable that Nintendo could reach a point where it has multiple gaming franchises with movie adaptations, and as a result it will have its own cinematic universe - official or not. It seems unlikely that Nintendo would not try and capitalize on this whenSuper Smash Bros.is as prominent and popular asSuper MarioorThe Legend of Zelda.Super Smash Bros.easily compares to the Avengersor Justice League, in that all bring together distinctive characters for one team effort.
Super Smash Bros. is More than Mario and Sonic
The start of aSuper Smash Bros.Cinematic Universe already has a strong foundation, withSonic the Hedgehogconfirming its third live-action installmentand theSuper Mario Bros. Movieset to release in 2023. Arguably, these two franchises alone represent a core part of gaming history that many fans can relate to, standing in as the mascots of Sega and Nintendo, respectively. Though the two companies would need to negotiate how they would share property rights for aSuper Smash Bros.film, it remains possible since they’ve already set a working partnership for the games.
While this covers a significant number of characters across thegame’sroster, including Princess Peach, Bowser, or Luigi appearing in theSuper Mario Bros. Movie, the two franchises alone might not be enough to kickstart aSuper Smash Bros.movie. Several other movie adaptations would hopefully have been introduced to expand the roster, possibly drawing from pre-existing films and then using the crossover to reveal future projects. For example,Detective Pikachucould provide its titular lead instead of restarting aPokemonfilm series, while Nintendo could tease futureFire Emblemprojects givenmany characters already appear inSuper Smash Bros.
