Chris Pratt's 'Mario' voice in new trailer cops savage fan reaction

He promised he would deliver a mind-blowing voiceover now the trailer has exposed him. Photo / AP

Chris Pratt's casting as the iconic character of Mario in the upcoming The Super Mario Bros movie was met with instant backlash last year.

For starters, the US actor is not Italian.

But, in an attempt to justify his selection, the 43-year-old Marvel star swiftly assured viewers they needn't fear, telling Variety in June he was "providing a voice for an animated character, and it is updated and unlike anything you've heard in the Mario world before".

"I worked really closely with the directors and trying out a few things and landed on something that I'm really proud of and can't wait for people to see and hear," he added.

That day has come with the release of the film's trailer today, and it's safe to say many have been left underwhelmed, with Pratt's promise of a mind-blowing Mario impression ultimately proving to be his ... normal speaking voice.

Have a listen:

Chris Pratt’s Mario voice has been revealed. pic.twitter.com/HiWxMPP1ey

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) October 6, 2022

Since the trailer's much-anticipated release, fans have flooded to Twitter with merciless feedback over Pratt's big reveal:

who would have thought that chris pratt's big secret voice in the mario movie would be his normal speaking voice

— Hard Drive (@HardDriveMag) October 6, 2022

me listening to chris pratt's voice come out of mario's mouth pic.twitter.com/yH3IKPjMBm

— allegra frank (@LegsFrank) October 6, 2022

Chris Pratt saying he worked so hard on the Mario voice only for it to sound like Chris Pratt is the funniest thing

— Comet 🐑🌟 | Lumi Pilot | Workin' on comms (@starteas) October 6, 2022

Pratt wasn't the only figure to make big claims prior to his Mario debut.

The Super Mario Bros co-producer Chris Meledandri also told Variety that once people heard Pratt's vocals, most of the negative opinions would inevitably eviscerate.

"When people hear Chris Pratt's performance, the criticism will evaporate, maybe not entirely - people love to voice opinions, as they should," Meledandri said in the June article.

"I'm not sure this is the smartest defence, but as a person who has Italian-American heritage, I feel I can make that decision without worrying about offending Italians or Italian-Americans ... I think we're going to be just fine."

Elsewhere in the trailer, we also hear Jack Black as the voice of villain Bowser, while Anya Taylor-Joy of the Queen's Gambit fame loans her vocals as Princess Peach.

The Super Mario Bros, produced by Illumination and Nintendo, is slated for an April 2023 theatre release.