Many people reacted with dismay when it emerged in 2023 that Nintendo would be replacing Charles Martinet as the voice actor for Mario and several other inhabitants of the Mushroom Kingdom. After Mario's creator Shigeru Miyamoto, it is probably Martinet who has had the greatest influence on shaping the Mario we know and love with his outbursts and classic expressions.
One person who has great respect for Martinet's contributions is Kevin Afghani. The name may not be very familiar yet, but from Super Mario Bros. Wonder onwards, he is Martinet's successor and thus provides Mario's voice in the games. In an interview with USA Today, he talks about how he views his predecessor's contributions:
"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."
And this is something that probably most of us can agree with. Nowadays, Charles Martinet often appears at various trade shows and similar events, so for those who want to hear the original voice of Mario, there is still an opportunity to do so.