In a May 2, 2026 interview, Shigeru Miyamoto explained that he does not want the Mario films to make children laugh through “dirty jokes,” said he had given Chris Meledandri that instruction, and then immediately clarified that this did not mean Wario was off the table. That distinction is the central point: the Mario movie rule is about the kind of laugh the films chase, not about banning every chaotic or morally grubby character in the franchise.
Official pages for The Super Mario Bros. Movie and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, along with official character bios and Nintendo’s investor remarks about future visual-content projects, all support the same reading. Wario is still a plausible movie character; he just would not be reduced to a crude-humor gimmick.
That matters because the games have never presented Wario as only one thing. Official character material defines him through rivalry, greed, bluster, garlic, and money, while official descriptions for the WarioWare: Get It Together! and WarioWare: Move It! series emphasize absurd, fast, body-based microgame chaos, and official descriptions for Wario Land 4 and Virtual Boy Wario Land emphasize treasure-hunting action. In other words, the canon already contains a family-friendly, movie-ready Wario model that does not depend on toilet humor.
Mario movies avoid toilet humor: why Nintendo doesn’t want “dirty jokes” in the films
The Mario movies avoid toilet humor because the creative rule coming from Shigeru Miyamoto is not “children only understand cheap comedy,” but almost the opposite. In the 2026 interview, he described children as essentially adults with less knowledge and said he did not want to make them laugh through dirty jokes. That frames the no-crude-humor stance as a matter of respect for the audience and brand identity, not moral panic. Mario is being positioned as broadly readable entertainment for children, parents, and longtime players at once.
That philosophy also matches the way the movies have been packaged and rated. The 2023 animated film’s PG reason was cited as action and mild violence, not rude or crude humor, which signals what the filmmakers actually put on screen. The approach is deliberate: lean on action, adventure, visual gags, and character interplay rather than bodily-function jokes that date quickly and narrow the tone.
Shigeru Miyamoto banning toilet humor in Mario movies explained (what he actually meant)
When people say “Miyamoto banned toilet humor,” they often flatten a more specific comment into a much broader rule. What he actually described was a creative guideline for how the Mario films should earn laughs from younger viewers. His point was that the films should not rely on dirty jokes as a shortcut; instead, they should stay entertaining through action and universally understood comic situations. That is a tonal instruction, not a decree that every rough-edged Mario character must be scrubbed clean.
This is important because Miyamoto paired the ban with an immediate clarification about Wario. In the same answer, he effectively said, “that doesn’t mean Wario won’t be in it.” So the meaning is not “Wario equals toilet humor, therefore Wario is banned.” The meaning is “cheap gross-out humor is not the foundation of these movies, but Wario can still exist if adapted through the parts of his identity that fit the films.” That is a much narrower and much more sequel-friendly position.
Mario movies tone and humor style: what Illumination uses instead of fart jokes
The tone the Mario films favor is action-driven, visually legible, and fast-moving. Miyamoto explicitly said action is something adults and children can understand equally, and in the same interview he stressed readability inside the action itself, saying he dislikes spectacle so chaotic that viewers cannot tell what is happening. That creates a humor system built around movement, timing, reversals, slapstick, and character reactions instead of bodily-function punchlines.
That reading also matches outside criticism and official movie presentation. Reviews described the 2023 film as wholesome, prankish, and slapstick-heavy, while the official pages for the 2023 and 2026 films foreground adventurous set pieces, colorful worlds, and character-driven spectacle. In practice, the franchise’s humor toolkit is a mix of visual slapstick, game references, musical comedy, exaggerated performances, and friction between characters like Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, and Bowser.
How family-friendly animation handles “crude humor” without losing edge (Mario vs other franchises)
Family animation does not have one mandatory comedy setting. The 2023 Mario movie carried a PG reason centered on action and mild violence, while other successful family films have openly included rude or crude humor in their ratings notes. For example, Minions: The Rise of Gru was listed as PG for some action/violence and rude humor, Despicable Me 2 as PG for rude humor and mild action, and Shrek 2 as PG for some crude humor and suggestive content. That proves crude humor is an available option in family entertainment, but not a requirement for commercial appeal.
The stronger comparison is that filmmakers can reject lazy crude jokes and still keep family animation energetic. In an interview about Migration, director Benjamin Renner said fart jokes were the easy route and that he preferred gags enjoyable for the whole family. Mario is taking the same lane, only under a more tightly protected brand. So the choice is not “crude or boring.” It is “which comic language best fits the IP?” For Mario, that answer is kinetic playfulness, not toilet escalation.
“That doesn’t mean Wario won’t be in it” quote explained and why it matters for sequels
The importance of the “That doesn’t mean Wario won’t be in it” line is that it separates a humor policy from a character policy. If Miyamoto had stopped after saying he did not want dirty jokes, fans could reasonably fear that Wario was collateral damage. By adding the Wario clarification immediately, he signaled that the films still have room for the character as long as he is used in a way that fits the established tone.
For sequel logic, that is a green light in everything but announcement form. It does not confirm Wario for a third film or spinoff, but it does confirm that his absence so far should not be read as a permanent creative veto. In franchise terms, Miyamoto left the door open on purpose. That matters because official character bios already provide a version of Wario built around rivalry, greed, swagger, and opportunism—traits that translate easily into story conflict without requiring any gross-out material.
Wario personality in the games vs movies: why “gross-out” jokes aren’t required
Nintendo’s own character page presents Wario as Mario’s self-professed archrival, a boisterous personality who loves garlic and making money. That official definition is telling because it foregrounds rivalry and greed, not filth. It gives filmmakers a stable dramatic core: Wario wants status, reward, and personal advantage, and he has the ego to think he should beat Mario at everything. Those are classic animated-antagonist ingredients already.
That means a movie version of Wario does not need to borrow the broadest bodily jokes from every corner of his game history. A film can preserve his recognizable silhouette, laugh, vanity, selfishness, and gold-chasing instincts without making him a one-note gross-out machine. If anything, that would be closer to the broader official franchise portrayal than reducing him to a meme.
Is Wario toilet humor canon? WarioWare vs Wario Land humor differences
The most accurate answer is that toilet-adjacent absurdity is part of some Wario material, but it is not the whole canon and not the best summary of the character. Official descriptions of the WarioWare games emphasize lightning-fast, quirky microgames, harebrained schemes, a “signature style (and smell),” and bizarre physical comedy such as pulling out a statue’s armpit hair. That branch of the franchise is intentionally ridiculous and sometimes bodily in its comic imagery.
By contrast, official Wario Land descriptions define Wario through treasure, revenge, transformations, traps, hidden rooms, and action-platforming. In those games, he is less a gross-out comedian than a greedy antihero or opportunistic rogue. So is Wario toilet humor canon? Partly, in one sub-series’ comic register. But it is not foundational enough to prevent a movie adaptation, because another equally official side of Wario is treasure-driven action adventure.
Why Wario hasn’t appeared in the Mario movies yet (rumors vs reality)
The reality is straightforward: official cast and character materials for the 2023 and 2026 Mario films do not list Wario. The 2023 film officially centered on Mario, Peach, Luigi, Bowser, Toad, Donkey Kong, Kamek, Cranky Kong, and Spike, while the 2026 Galaxy film’s official page focused on Mario, Peach, Luigi, Toad, Bowser, Bowser Jr., Yoshi, and Rosalina. As of May 7, 2026, there has been no official Wario casting announcement for the released films.
The rumors, however, often assume his absence must be ideological. The evidence does not support that. The more convincing explanation is bandwidth and sequencing. The first movie functioned as a broad franchise introduction; the second expanded into cosmic territory and added major pieces like Yoshi, Rosalina, and Bowser Jr.. In the same 2026 interview cycle, Miyamoto even described changing internal rules to allow Fox McCloud into the movie. That suggests Wario’s absence is about chosen priorities, not official rejection.
How Nintendo manages character consistency across movies and games (Miyamoto’s role)
One of the clearest reasons the Mario films feel tightly controlled is that Nintendo is not simply licensing the characters out and walking away. Miyamoto and Meledandri described a deeply collaborative process in which ideas, tone boards, drawings, music feedback, and story notes moved constantly between the teams. Nintendo’s leadership has also told shareholders that the company wants to be deeply involved in production so it can protect final quality.
That matters for Wario because any future version of him would likely be filtered through the same consistency process. The team would not ask, “What is the loudest possible Wario meme?” It would ask, “Which aspects of Wario serve this film’s story while remaining recognizably Wario across games, movies, and the broader brand?” That is exactly why the no-dirty-jokes rule does not kill the character. A managed adaptation can emphasize greed, rivalry, and comic selfishness instead.
Wario in a future Mario movie sequel: the most likely ways Nintendo could introduce him
The most likely Wario introduction is not as a random cameo, but as a story function. Nintendo’s official bio makes him Mario’s archrival and a money-lover, which naturally supports three clean movie entrances: a treasure-hunter competing with Mario for the same objective, a self-serving “ally” who helps only while profit is involved, or a local celebrity/inventor/conman who turns out to be exploiting a crisis for personal gain. All three preserve the character’s motives without requiring crude humor.
A sequel built on that logic would also fit the current movie franchise’s priorities. The films like readable action, clear stakes, and recognizable character dynamics. Wario is ideal for rivalry-based plot propulsion because he can generate conflict even when he is not world-endingly evil. He can block progress, betray the heroes, and still stay funny enough for family animation. That makes him more flexible than a pure end-boss and more filmable than a joke engine.
What a Wario villain arc could look like in a Mario movie sequel (story and stakes)
A credible Wario villain arc would probably begin with envy and opportunism, not filth. Based on his official characterization and the treasure-driven Wario Land material, the cleanest version is a story where Wario sees a chance at wealth or prestige before Mario does, claims he deserves the prize more, and gradually becomes more dangerous as his greed escalates. That would let the film start with comedy and push toward real stakes. This is an inference from the source material, but it is a very grounded one.
The best escalation would be personal rather than apocalyptic at first. Because Nintendo’s official bio says Mario and Wario have known each other since they were babies, a movie could turn that history into emotional friction: Wario thinks Mario stole the spotlight; Mario thinks Wario never changed; Luigi gets caught in the middle. The stakes then become reputation, trust, and ownership of whatever reward or invention drives the plot. That is more in character, and more durable, than building the whole arc around bathroom comedy.
Waluigi in the Mario movies: why fans connect Wario talk to Waluigi speculation
Fans link Wario and Waluigi because Nintendo’s own character pages link them. Waluigi is officially described as Wario’s pal and accomplice and as Luigi’s self-proclaimed rival. Once people start imagining Wario on screen, Waluigi naturally follows because the duo already exists as a built-in comic mirror for Mario and Luigi.
That said, Wario is still the more logical first step. Wario has a broader storytelling base across character bios, WarioWare, and Wario Land, while Waluigi’s official profile is more relational and more tied to sports-and-spinoff energy. In movie terms, Wario can anchor conflict by himself; Waluigi works best as an amplifier, sidekick, or second-phase addition. So Waluigi speculation makes sense, but it should be read as adjacent to Wario talk, not proof that both must debut together.
Mario movie sequel casting ideas for Wario: voice actor predictions and fan favorites
The dominant fan-favorite choice, based on current reporting and cast chatter, is Danny DeVito. In April 2026 coverage, Charlie Day publicly backed DeVito for Wario, and mainstream outlets framed the idea as the fan consensus rather than a fringe joke. That matters because movie-franchise fan casts rarely get this much support from someone already inside the voice ensemble.
The sentimental legacy option is Charles Martinet, who voiced Mario, Luigi, Wario, and Waluigi for years before transitioning to a Mario Ambassador role in 2023. But the movie era has already shown a willingness to build separate screen casts, so a more realistic prediction is still a celebrity-comedian performance in the DeVito mold. Another reason that prediction holds weight is that Meledandri said actors often actively pursue Nintendo film roles, which means the franchise can aim for high-recognition voices rather than only franchise veterans.
Mario Galaxy Movie context: what’s next for the franchise and where Wario could fit
As of May 7, 2026, the official state of the franchise is that The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is the latest released animated Mario film, and Nintendo’s official materials position it as a major expansion of the world through Yoshi, Rosalina, Bowser Jr., and a galactic setting. In earlier shareholder remarks, Nintendo said it would continue using visual content to expand access to its IP and that it was working on various projects beyond the already-announced slate, even if it was not ready to discuss them publicly in detail.
That leaves Wario in a strong strategic position. Galaxy has already handled the “go bigger” move by taking Mario into space. The next smart expansion does not need to be larger; it can be more character-specific. Wario fits that shift perfectly because he offers a different texture of conflict—petty, personal, greedy, funny, and scalable. If Galaxy broadened the map, Wario could deepen the interpersonal world in whatever comes next.
Mario movies Wario news roundup: best sources to follow for sequel rumors and official updates
For official updates, the best sources are Nintendo’s own channels: the , the , the , and the company’s and . Those are the places Nintendo already uses for trailers, movie tie-ins, names, release windows, and official framing.
For casting talk and early sequel movement, use established trade or mainstream industry coverage before trusting fandom speculation. That means outlets such as Deadline, Variety, People, and Box Office Mojo for grosses and release data. The safest rule is simple: if a Wario rumor cannot be traced back to a Nintendo primary source or a credible entertainment trade, treat it as chatter, not news.
frequently asked questions(FAQS)
- Did Miyamoto actually ban dirty jokes in the Mario movies?
Yes. In the May 2, 2026 interview, Miyamoto said he did not want to make children laugh through dirty jokes and said he had given Chris Meledandri that instruction. - Did Miyamoto also say Wario could still appear?
Yes. In the same answer, he immediately clarified that the rule against dirty jokes did not mean Wario could not be in the films. - Is Wario officially defined by toilet humor?
No. Nintendo’s official character bio defines Wario through rivalry, swagger, garlic, and money, while only some WarioWare material leans into more absurd bodily comedy. - Why has Wario not appeared in the first two animated Mario movies?
The official evidence points to character prioritization, not a ban. The first movie focused on a core introduction, and the Galaxy follow-up expanded with characters like Yoshi, Bowser Jr., and Rosalina, but official cast pages still do not list Wario. - Would Wario need gross-out humor to work on screen?
No. His official bio and the Wario Land descriptions give filmmakers plenty to work with: greed, rivalry, treasure obsession, and opportunism are already enough for a funny antagonist or antihero. - Does Nintendo closely control the movies?
Yes. Nintendo has told shareholders it is deeply involved in visual-content production, and Miyamoto and Meledandri have described a hands-on collaborative process around tone, art, music, and story feedback. - Has Nintendo officially announced another Mario movie after Galaxy?
Not in the sources cited here. Nintendo has said it is working on various other projects, but it has not publicly named the next Mario film after The Super Mario Galaxy Movie in those official materials. - Why do people bring up Waluigi whenever Wario is discussed?
Because Nintendo’s own character page defines Waluigi as Wario’s pal and accomplice as well as Luigi’s rival, so the pair are already positioned as a mirror image of Mario and Luigi. - Who is the leading fan-favorite choice to voice Wario?
Danny DeVito is the clearest current fan-favorite, especially after Charlie Day publicly endorsed him in 2026 coverage. Charles Martinet remains the legacy-name alternative because he previously voiced Wario in games. - What are the best places to track official Wario movie news?
Nintendo’s Mario news hub, Nintendo Direct archive, Nintendo Today!, and Nintendo corporate releases are the best official sources. For casting and trade reporting, Deadline, Variety, and People are more reliable than random rumor accounts.
conclusion
The evidence does not support the idea that avoiding toilet humor automatically pushes Wario out of the Mario movies. What the official record shows instead is a narrower and more useful distinction: Miyamoto wants the films to avoid cheap dirty-joke laughs, but he does not see that as incompatible with Wario himself. That position makes sense when set against Nintendo’s own character bios and game descriptions, which show Wario as a rival, grifter, treasure-chaser, and comic egoist long before he is ever a gross-out punchline. As a result, a future sequel can introduce Wario without breaking the family-friendly tone that Nintendo and its film partners have protected so carefully.
sources and citation
- Crank-In interview with Miyamoto and Meledandri
Crank-In interview with Miyamoto and Meledandri - Nintendo Today! app official page
Nintendo Today! official page - Nintendo Today! App Store listing
Nintendo Today! App Store listing - Nintendo Today! support overview
Nintendo Today! support overview - Official Nintendo press/release coverage for Nintendo Today!
Gematsu coverage of Nintendo Today! announcement - Official Nintendo Store mobile page for Nintendo Today!
Nintendo Today! mobile store page - Box Office Mojo worldwide gross page for The Super Mario Bros. Movie
Box Office Mojo worldwide gross page for The Super Mario Bros. Movie - The Verge reporting on Nintendo Today!
The Verge – Nintendo is launching a news app - TechRadar coverage of Nintendo Today!
TechRadar coverage of Nintendo Today! - iDownloadBlog coverage of Nintendo Today!
iDownloadBlog coverage of Nintendo Today! - Nintendo Life reporting on Nintendo Today! updates
Nintendo Life reporting on Nintendo Today! updates
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