Jack Black's portrayal of Bowser in the upcoming Super Mario Bros. movie was partially inspired by the main Star Wars antagonist, Darth Vader.
Talking to IGN, Black said he's enjoying playing the villain and that he often prefers the bad guys to the good guys in movies. "Oftentimes villains are my favorite characters in movies, just because they're so interesting and they make the drama and the excitement 10 times more effective. It's like, Darth Vader is my favorite part of Star Wars, and without Darth Vader, that movie's really boring. You got to have the spice of a real danger, evil lurking in the shadows. So I was stoked to take that on."
Asked specifically if Darth Vader served as an inspiration for his Bowser performance, Black replied, "I would say yes, a little bit," adding, "Darth Vader has a lower register, and I also had to go lower than my natural speaking voice."
There's little debate that Bowser and Darth Vader are both two of the most iconic big bads in pop culture, but they couldn't be from more different worlds, which makes this a surprising reveal from Black. Though, listening back to Darth Vader and comparing him to Bowser in the new Mario movie trailer, I do hear a faint resemblance in the tone of the two characters' voices and speaking cadences.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie is set to hit US theaters on April 5, followed by a Japan release on April 28 and finally, a Peacock debut in May.
Until then, here are the best video game movies out there right now.
