Although largely seen as a standalone entry in the franchise, the world of Super Mario Sunshine could occupy a special place in the story of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. Released in 2002 for the Gamecube, Super Mario Sunshine was a 3D adventure game that took Mario out of his usual stomping grounds and to a tropical land known as Isle Delfino.
Super Mario Sunshine revolved around a gimmick called F.L.U.D.D., which was a water-shooting machine that allowed Mario to clean up the island of “goop” in an effort to clear his name after he’s been framed by the game’s main antagonist, Bowser.
F.L.U.D.D and other elements of the game have since been incorporated into other Super Mario installments, but Super Mario Sunshine never received a sequel, nor has Isle Delfino ever been revisited outside of race tracks in the Mario Kart series. However, it may soon become relevant again, via The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.
Will Isle Delfino Be One Of The Worlds In The Super Mario Galaxy Movie?
Various character posters have been revealed for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, with Princess Peach and Captain Toad’s depicting them alongside the Star Bunnies, the Penguins, and the Piantas. Both Star Bunnies and Penguins are in Super Mario Galaxy, so neither is a surprising inclusion, but Piantas will always be representative of Super Mario Sunshine.
The Piantas are the primary residents of Isle Delfino and the characters with whom Mario shares most of his interactions with while on the tropical island in Super Mario Sunshine. They’ve made cameos in other games, but aren’t shown to have homes in other worlds in the Super Mario universe.
Of course, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie could simply add them to another tropical region, but their inclusion in the poster could be a sign of something more, such as the idea that Super Mario Sunshine’s Isle Defino will be reimagined as a world to be visited during the main characters’ cosmic adventure.
What’s already known about the story makes that a real possibility. The marketing has already teased multiple game locations, from a casino based on Super Mario Bros. 2 to the Cascade Kingdom from Super Mario Odyssey.
This indicates that Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, and Toad will have to pay visits to a long list of worlds on their way to fight Bowser and Bowser Jr, and one could very well be The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’s own take on Super Mario Sunshine, possibly with more creatures and concepts unique to Isle Delfino.
- Release Date
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April 1, 2026
- Director
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Aaron Horvath, Michael Jelenic
- Writers
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Matthew Fogel