The voice actors now portraying Toad and Peach in Mario Kart World have spoken out after Samantha Kelly's unexpected departure following 18 years in the role.
Voice actor Samantha Kelly learned her 18-year run voicing Super Mario characters Princess Peach and Toad had ended on the Nintendo Switch 2 launch day—the same day Mario Kart World was released without her involvement. Since her debut in 2007's Mario Strikers Charged, she had voiced Peach and Toad across more than 70 titles for Nintendo DS, 3DS, Wii, Wii U, and Switch.
As reported by Eurogamer, Paul Castro Jr. and Courtney Lin—the new voices of Toad and Peach, respectively—have each posted on their X/Twitter accounts to confirm their casting.
"I can finally share that I voice the Toads in Mario Kart World!" Castro posted. "All the male Toads you hear during your adventures are voiced by me! I’ve been playing while traveling, and it’s an absolute blast. I’m incredibly grateful to Nintendo for helping me fulfill a childhood dream."
Lin wrote: "I can finally announce… I’m the voice of Princess Peach and Baby Peach in Mario Kart World! I’m eternally thankful to Nintendo for trusting me to help carry on the legacy of this iconic character."
"These characters are so much bigger than any one person. I feel deeply honored and still can’t quite believe it. I have immense respect for all the actors who voiced Peach before me, especially the one I grew up with. I’ll give my best in every opportunity I receive, and I hope everyone is enjoying the game. Wahooo!! So sweet."
Nintendo has tightened its policies regarding early disclosure of video game credits—so much so that it often withholds acknowledgment of a game’s developer until release.
In related news, we recently learned that Takashi Nagasako, who voiced Donkey Kong for 21 years, is also no longer credited for the character in Mario Kart World. Kouji Takeda is now credited as Donkey Kong across all language versions of the game, including Bananza. Takeda previously voiced Donkey Kong in the Japanese dub of the Super Mario Bros. Movie and now appears to have taken over as the character’s video game voice as well.
These shifts in Nintendo’s previously steady voice casting follow the retirement of Charles Martinet, the voice of Mario, Luigi, Wario, and Waluigi for nearly three decades.
