Shigeru Miyamoto Shuts Down Smash Bros. Movie

by

Shigeru Miyamoto, a key figure at Nintendo, has disappointed fans hoping for a shared cinematic universe connecting Nintendo franchises like Super Smash Bros., stating that a crossover movie isn’t planned.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie, created by Nintendo and Illumination, felt unique. Though it included nods to other Nintendo games, the story and settings stayed focused on the worlds of Super Mario Bros. and Donkey Kong.

The surprise appearance of Pikmin and Fox McCloud in the upcoming Super Mario Bros. Movie has sparked excitement among fans hoping for more films based on Nintendo properties, like a Super Smash Bros. movie. However, Shigeru Miyamoto recently told Polygon that a crossover film isn’t currently planned.

Miyamoto Shoots Down Smash Bros. Film


Image Via Nintendo

So, I was asking about a Smash Bros. movie, and Miyamoto-san basically said it’s not gonna happen – at least, not in the way we’d all imagine. He said we shouldn’t expect to see all the Nintendo characters teaming up in a movie like that. It sounds like a full-on Nintendo character crossover film is pretty much off the table.

Illumination CEO Chris Meledandri clarified that their approach to creating interconnected films isn’t about long-term, meticulously planned ‘universes.’ Instead, he explained that they focus on what would be enjoyable and work well within individual scenes, rather than charting out a decade’s worth of character crossovers and storylines. He said their process is driven by creative conversations about each movie, not by overarching, pre-determined plans.

Pikmin and Fox’s appearances are likely just brief cameos, and while spin-off movies are possible in the future, there aren’t any plans for a big interconnected storyline like the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It’s not being built towards one huge crossover film.

The surprise appearance of Pikmin and Fox McCloud in the upcoming Super Mario Bros. Movie has sparked excitement among fans, who are now hoping for separate films based on other Nintendo franchises, like a Super Smash Bros. movie.

It’s understandable that fans will be let down to hear Nintendo isn’t planning a full movie universe, considering how promising the idea seemed. The strong performance of the Super Mario Bros. movie did create an opportunity for Nintendo to confidently develop future films and potentially build a larger interconnected world.

Subscribe for deeper takes on Nintendo movies and crossovers

Get fuller context by subscribing to the newsletter: expert analysis of Nintendo’s film approach, why cameos matter versus a cinematic-universe plan, and what industry signals mean for future crossover possibilities; focused coverage of Nintendo movies.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

A Super Smash Bros. movie would be great to see someday. But if it ever gets made, it will likely happen because all the individual games featuring those characters have been successful, not because anyone specifically planned to create a movie bringing them all together.

Read More

2026-04-01 03:39