Meet Nintendo's new Mario, the voice of the video games
- - Meet Nintendo's new Mario, the voice of the video games
Charles Runnells, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily NewsJanuary 15, 2026 at 12:33 AM
0
Kevin Afghani grew up playing “Mario Kart” and other Nintendo games. Now he’s the voice of Mario, Luigi and more Nintendo characters.
And it kinda blows his mind.
“It's unbelievable,” says Afghani, 29, of Los Angeles. “My dreams have come true.”
After getting the Nintendo job in 2023, Afghani is finally meeting fans of the Mario franchise this weekend for his first-ever U.S. comic con.
He'll appear Sunday, Jan. 18, at Charlie’s ComicCon in Estero, Florida. He’ll meet fans, sign autographs and take part in a panel discussion.
The voice actor took over the roles of Mario and Luigi with the 2023 Nintendo Switch game “Super Mario Bros. Wonder.” He replaced the retiring Charles Martinet, who voiced the characters for more than two decades and still serves as Nintendo’s “Mario Ambassador.”
Los Angeles voice actor Kevin Afghani took over the voice of Mario, Luigi, Wario and other Nintendo characters in 2023. You can hear him on several Mario games on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2.
Since then, Afghani has voiced Mario, Luigi, Wario and other characters in several Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 games, including “Mario Kart World,” “WarioWare: Move It!” and “Super Mario Party Jamboree.”
Afghani says he’s starting to get recognized at public events − for Mario or his other voice work, including Amir in the “Warframe” games. “I'm just not used to it, man,” he says. “It's crazy.”
Afghani chats about how he got the Nintendo gig and what it’s like hearing his own voice while playing “Mario Kart World.”
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Mario, seen here in the Nintendo Switch 2 game "Mario Kart World," is voiced by actor Kevin Afghani.
So this is going to be your first-ever appearance at a U.S. comic con?
Kevin Afghani: Kinda! I did TennoCon for "Warframe" this last year, but that was in Canada. And then years and years ago, I did (anime convention) San Japan.
But, you know, for my career of voice acting − and especially since I've been Mario − yeah, pretty much.
That's awesome. How do you feel about that?
I'm very excited, and I'm a little nervous.
You're nervous? Why?
Because I'm a nerd. I stay in my house all day. You know, I'm just one of them.
Have you been recognized a lot as the voice of Mario?
It doesn't happen very often. You're not on screen, really.
Nobody thinks about who does the voice of Mario, ever. Everybody knows who Mario is. But the second you're like, ‘He has a voice actor," it's like, “Oh, yeah, I guess he must.”
Los Angeles voice actor Kevin Afghani took over the voice of Mario, Luigi, Wario and other Nintendo characters in 2023. You can hear him on several Mario games on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2.
You're a big gamer, right?
Yeah. I play too many video games.
Do you play a lot of Nintendo?
Oh, yeah. I was a fan of Mario long before I became Mario. And I will be a fan of Mario long after I stop being Mario, you know?
You were really into "Mario Kart" as a kid.
I have played basically every Mario game since I was a child. I love "Mario Kart." I love "Luigi's Mansion." I love "Mario Party." I love the 2D Mario games, the 3D Mario games. I even love the sports games. I love all of it.
Why do you love them?
It is such a pure joy. It is unapologetically happy.
What does it mean for you − being such a hardcore Mario fan − to be doing the voice of Mario, Wario and Luigi?
I couldn't explain to you how important these characters have been to me my entire life. I'm a really jokey person, and I'm a really silly person. But there's just a part of me that can't help but get teary-eyed when I talk about this.
There aren't many characters that are as iconic as Mario, and now you're the voice of that character.
Yeah, that's crazy. These characters are important to me. And I get to carry them (so they can) keep being important to other people.
Kevin Afghani is the voice of Wario in the Nintendo Switch 2 game "Mario Kart World."
How did you come up with Mario’s voice?
I've been listening to Mario and Luigi and the others my entire life. And my entire life was spent mimicking them, you know. Just for fun.
Do you enjoy doing the voice?
Goodness, I love it! The recording sessions are so much fun. They are so, so much fun.
Have you played the actual games that you're in? Do you play them at home?
A lot. I have played a lot of "Mario Kart World." I played a lot of "Mario Party."
What's it like playing those games and hearing your own voice?
It's definitely surreal. At a certain point, I can disconnect and I can be like, "That's Mario."
You took over the job from (longtime Mario voice actor) Charles Martinet. Were you nervous stepping into his shoes?
Look, Charles, as far as I'm concerned, IS Mario. He created something that is so unbelievably iconic. And he did it so masterfully. If I wasn't nervous, then I'm the wrong guy.
I'm the second guy who's doing Mario. Charles is THE guy. There is such an unbelievable respect for Charles. He is amazing.
In addition to playing Mario, Kevin Afghani is also the voice of Luigi in the Nintendo Switch 2 game "Mario Kart World."
Other than Nintendo, what are your favorite other roles that you’ve done?
I really love Amir. He's very close to my heart. I love recording for "Warframe."
That character is very fun because it was weirdly a treat to use my regular speaking voice. I never get to just, like, talk normally and just go. And Amir was very much that.
Is there anything else you'd like to talk about?
I'll give you one. I was never in Nintendo Direct (Nintendo's video announcements about news and upcoming games). There's this weird narrative online I was in Nintendo Directs, I narrated Nintendo Directs. I never worked for Nintendo before being Mario.
I'm glad we get to be your first big comic con.
I'm very excited. I'm a little nervous. I'm, you know, I'm all the emotions.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Nintendo's new Mario Kevin Afghani is the video games' voice
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
