Kevin Afghani Is The New Pipes Behind Mario and Luigi Voices

There's a new voice in town

The gaming world has been aflutter with whispers and wild guesses, but the moment of truth is finally here. Nintendo has unveiled Kevin Afghani as the fresh voice behind our beloved Mario and Luigi in the upcoming title, "Super Mario Bros. Wonder."

The news broke as Kevin Afghani took to X (the platform formerly known as Twitter), expressing his joy and gratitude. "Incredibly proud to have voiced Mario and Luigi in Super Mario Bros. Wonder. Thanks to Nintendo for inviting me into the Flower Kingdom!" he tweeted.

The timing is notable because Charles Martinet, the iconic voice of Mario for over a quarter of a century, had recently stepped back from voice acting to assume a new role as a Mario ambassador. Nintendo had been playing it close to the chest, stating that the new voice actor would be credited in "Super Mario Bros. Wonder." That led to quite the rumor mill, with names like Mark Wingert being thrown around, only to be subsequently refuted.

Early this week, gaming news outlet VGC reported that data miners had unearthed a demo version of "Super Mario Bros. Wonder," revealing a list of voice actors. Interestingly, even though the list was arranged alphabetically by last name, Afghani's name was curiously at the top, almost as if it were a sign.

I'd grab a beer with him.

So, who is Kevin Afghani? A look at his IMDb profile shows that he's not a household name—yet. With just six credits to his name, some of his prior roles include voicing Raditz in the "Dragon Ball R&R" series and Arnold in "Genshin Impact." And let's not forget his part in a show with the eye-catching title "Anime Penguin: Red Snow."

For a sneak peek at what's to come, Nintendo has released a Wonder promo video that features Afghani's take on Mario and Luigi. The full experience, however, will be available when "Super Mario Bros. Wonder" drops on Nintendo Switch come October 20th.

The transition from Charles Martinet to Kevin Afghani is surely a momentous shift in the Mario universe, but if the initial reactions are anything to go by, it seems the Flower Kingdom is in good hands.

~Smash