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In a surprising development, Kevin Afghani has been revealed as the new voice of Wario in the upcoming game, WarioWare: Move It. This marks a significant shift from the longstanding tradition of Charles Martinet providing the iconic voices for both Mario and Wario. Martinet’s association with these characters dates back to the original Mario Kart in 1996, with James H. Sawyer Sr. voicing Wario in earlier appearances.
Earlier this year, Charles Martinet made the decision to step away from his roles as Mario and other beloved Nintendo characters, opting to take on an ambassadorial role for the Super Mario franchise. This decision left fans speculating about who would take up the mantle as the voice of these beloved characters. It has now been confirmed that Kevin Afghani will be taking on the roles of both Mario and Luigi, starting with the recent release of Super Mario Bros. Wonder.
While the credits for WarioWare: Move It don’t explicitly specify which characters each actor is voicing, it can be inferred that Afghani will be the voice behind Wario, as his name is listed at the top. GameXplain’s YouTube channel has already released a video comparing Afghani’s rendition of Wario to Charles Martinet’s performance in previous WarioWare games.
Prior to his role in Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Kevin Afghani was known for his work on various web projects, including the Mashed YouTube channel and the Dragon Ball R&R fan series by MasakoX. Additionally, he provides the voice for Arnold in the English dub of Genshin Impact. Fans have noted similarities between his voice in Genshin Impact and the talking flowers that assist players in Super Mario Bros. Wonder. Afghani’s portrayal of Mario and Luigi has received praise from the Mario community, dating back to the initial reveal trailer of Super Mario Bros. Wonder in June.
With Afghani now seemingly taking on the role of Wario in WarioWare: Move It, the only remaining character from Martinet’s repertoire in need of a new voice is Waluigi, Luigi’s mischievous counterpart. Fans are already speculating that Kevin Afghani may step into this role when Waluigi makes his next appearance.
WarioWare: Move It is set to launch exclusively for the Nintendo Switch on November 3rd.