Sometimes the perfect casting is so obvious it feels like a joke. Charlie Day wants Danny DeVito to play Wario in the next Super Mario movie, and honestly, how has this not already happened?
Day, who voices Luigi in Illumination's Mario films, told Deadline that DeVito would be the ideal choice for Mario's greedy, garlic-obsessed rival. And he's not wrong.
Think about it: Wario is short, loud, loves money, and has absolutely no shame. DeVito could play this character in his sleep. In fact, he has played this character—his name was Frank Reynolds, and he lived in Philadelphia for 16 seasons.
But beyond the obvious physical comedy fit, DeVito brings something crucial to voice acting: he commits fully. Whether he's playing a sleazy businessman in Batman Returns or a sentient detective Pokémon in Detective Pikachu, the man goes all in. Wario deserves that energy.
Nintendo and Illumination have proven they're willing to cast actors who embody their characters rather than just lending star power. Jack Black didn't just voice Bowser—he became a fire-breathing theatrical villain who sings power ballads. Chris Pratt made Mario work by playing him as an earnest Brooklyn plumber rather than doing a terrible Italian accent for 90 minutes.
DeVito as Wario fits that philosophy perfectly. It's not stunt casting—it's correct casting.
