Now that the premiere of the brand new Super Mario Bros. Movie trailer has come and gone, reactions range from mixed to hopeful to angry about Chris Pratt using his (mostly) regular voice to give life to the famous Italian plumber.
While the reactions aren’t as bad as say, the Sonic the Hedgehog teeth fiasco, they’re still loud. So loud, in fact, that almost 2,500 (as of press time) people have signed a petition to get TikTok cooking star Cugine to replace Pratt. Cugine, whose real name is Danny Mondello, has 1.6 million followers on TikTok and almost 500,000 on Instagram. He visits local Italian restaurants in Staten Island and reviews hand-food like pizza and sandwiches. The petition was started by Willie Casarez.
“Replace Chris Pratt with the wonderful, Wholesome, Talented, Brave and Healthy Cugine from @Meals_by_cug . We need to do what’s right. Cugine is the only man with enough grace and class to pull off such a beloved Character. Let’s do right by Mario and for future generations! Give the king Of Diet Coke the job and role he deserves!”
Mondello’s persona on TikTok is boisterous and outer-borough, according to a profile in The New York Post, and he dresses in Adidas tracksuits. Even celebrities are excited about him, and he’s followed by the likes of rapper Drake, singer Charlie Puth and comedian Sebastian Maniscalco even recognized him on Long Island by saying, “Cug, how are ya?”
His unassuming energy is what endears him to his fans, he told the Post.
“I am definitely a little different. I’m a down-to-earth, chill guy, and I don’t show off. I’m wearing plain-Jane clothes, no jewelry. My look and my accent are different. My accent doesn’t match what I look like,” he said of his allure, adding that he has uses “old-school charm in a new way. Also, I’m not screaming at the camera. I think people like that. I’m not a wack job.”
Here’s Cug with superstar comedian Andrew Schulz.
Considering this is Nintendo’s first big budget movie and it’s probably setting up a whole Nintendo Extended Universe, chances of an untested “Cug” taking the mantle of Nintendo’s flagship character is pretty low. It does illustrate, however, just how annoyed people are that Pratt got the role.
Pratt promised a voice “unlike anything” fans have heard before, but in the trailer he just sounded like Pratt. Fans immediately called foul. I guess we’ll have to wait and see if Nintendo and animation company Illumination decide to make any changes. It’s unlikely, but who knows.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie hops into theaters on April 7 of next year.