How Old Is Mario In The Super Mario Bros. Movie & Is He Older In The 1993 Film?

For the most part, Mario has retained the same overall look since his first video game appearances. He's short, stocky, and dons a big, bushy mustache, giving the impression that he could be anywhere from his mid-20s to his early-40s. In a 2005 interview, Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto claimed that Mario is between 24 and 25, seemingly putting any debate on the matter to rest (via The Independent). However, four years before Miyamoto supposedly set the record straight on Mario's age, 2001's "Super Smash Bros. Melee" made a claim about it. 

According to an in-game trophy, Mario is actually 26 years old, which isn't a huge leap, but it is outside of Miyamoto's given range. With all of this in mind, it is a bit odd that aged-up actors such as Captain Lou Albano — the live-action Mario actor from 1989's "Super Mario Bros. Super Show!" — and the aforementioned Bob Hoskins were selected to play him. Then again, as the years have gone on, it does seem that the video game Mario has lost some of his aged features and taken on much younger ones, so perhaps his modern self being in his 20s isn't too much of a stretch.

At the end of the day, does Mario's true age really matter? Not really, but it is something interesting to examine, especially from adaptation to adaptation.