John Leguizamo Boycotting ‘Super Mario Bros. Movie’ Due to Exclusion of Latino Characters: “They Stopped the Groundbreaking”

Looks like The Super Mario Bros. Movie is going to need one of its extra lives, because former Luigi actor John Leguizamo just stomped it dead.

The actor revealed that he will not be watching the new release, which stars Chris Pratt and Charlie Day as the famous video game brothers, because it lacks diversity. 

While speaking with TMZ, Leguizamo opened up about his criticism of the upcoming movie for its lack of Latino characters — which he takes quite personally given that he portrayed Luigi in the critically-panned 1993 live-action movie. 

He stated that his casting was “groundbreaking” and the new movie “stopped the groundbreaking.” 

Leguizamo told TMZ that he “will not” be watching The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which released in theaters on Wednesday (April 5), because “they messed up the inclusion.” He continued, “Just cast some Latin folk. We’re 20% of the population. The largest people of color group and we are underrepresented — overrepresented in the worst kind of jobs, though.”

The actor said “Hell no!” when asked again if he’d be watching the movie.

Leguizamo first spoke out against the new animated movie on Twitter last October, calling it a “reboot.” He wrote, “So glad #SuperMarioBros is getting a reboot!  Obviously it’s iconic enuff.  But too bad they went all white! No Latinx in the leads! Groundbreaking color-blind casting in original!” 

He added that he’s “the only one who knows how to make this movie work script wise!”

The actor elaborated on his statement to IndieWire in November, saying that the movie is “backwards” for casting two white actors in the lead roles.

“I’m O.G. A lot of people love the original. I did Comic-Con in New York and in Baltimore, and everyone’s like, ‘No, no, we love the old one, the original.’ They’re not feeling the new one,” Leguizamo said at the time. “I’m not bitter. It’s unfortunate.” 

Leguizamo recalled being cast in the role, stating that the two directors fought for him to be the lead because the studio was resistant to having a Latin man as Luigi. “They fought really hard, and it was such a breakthrough. For them to go backwards and not cast another [actor of color] kind of sucks,” he said. 

In addition to Pratt and Day, the movie features Jack Black as Bowser, Keegan-Michael Key as Toad, Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach and Seth Rogan as Donkey Kong.

Just last week, Rogan slammed the 1993 movie, calling it “one of the worst films ever made.” He recalled seeing it when he was 11 years old.

“I was so disappointed. I think it made me realize that movies, like, could be bad,” the actor added. 

Seems like a feud is afoot.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie is currently in theaters.