Although Kirby and Samus sadly aren’t in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, there are some easy-to-miss easter eggs referencing them and suggesting they’re out there somewhere.
Ever since Star Fox and Pikmin were confirmed to be in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Nintendo fans have been having a field day imagining what other characters and franchises were potentially going to show up. In fact, the excitement about cameos has even led to theories that Illumination is actually laying the groundwork for a Smash movie in the future.
Miyamoto has claimed that a Smash movie isn’t going to happen any time soon, but that doesn’t stop The Super Mario Galaxy Movie from referencing a ton of different Nintendo properties. Some are fairly in your face, but there are two very interesting easter eggs tied to Kirby and Samus (as well as Punch Out) that a lot of people are going to miss.
Metroid, Kirby, And Even Punch Out Are Referenced In The Super Mario Galaxy Movie
Star Fox Isn’t The Only Nintendo Character That’s Canon In The Mario Movie Universe
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie released in theatres yesterday and, even though it’s getting a beating from both fans and critics, there is a lot for Nintendo diehards to enjoy. Not only is Star Fox a starring character (and apparently featured more than Rosalina), but there are tons of nods to some of Nintendo’s biggest franchises.
My favourite of the bunch was highlighted by Twitter user DriftCons, who shared a scene from the movie where a bunch of Lumas are flying around what is likely the Comet Observatory. For one very brief moment, a pink Luma is shown puffing its cheeks out and floating exactly like Kirby does in his games.
Next up on the Nintendo easter egg checklist is Metroid which, as pointed out by GamesRadar+, is referenced in a scene where Peach and Toad are looking for a pilot. As they approach Star Fox in a landing bay, Samus Aran’s gunship from Super Metroid can briefly be seen in a single shot. This is also the scene where Pikmin make an appearance, so it’s a bit of a (complimentary) Nintendo overload.
The final Nintendo easter egg that I’ve seen shared around is another blink-and-you ‘ll-miss-it moment that was highlighted by Twitter user SuperWiiBros08. During a scene where Yoshi walks around Brooklyn, Punch Out’s Little Mac and Doc Louis can be seen riding along and doing some training. Punch Out was also referenced in the first Mario movie, so it’s a nice full-circle moment.
Although these easter eggs are likely just Illumination and Nintendo having some fun and giving fans something to hunt for, the implications are pretty interesting. Even if we’re not getting a Smash movie any time soon, we do at least know that many of these characters are out there in the, sigh, Mario Cinematic Universe.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie
- Release Date
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April 1, 2026
- Runtime
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98 Minutes
- Director
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Aaron Horvath, Michael Jelenic, Pierre Leduc, Fabien Polack
- Writers
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Matthew Fogel
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Anya Taylor-Joy
Princess Peach
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