The credits rolled, the theater lights flickered on, and a collective "Where was she?" echoed through the fandom. People loved The Super Mario Bros. Movie. It was a massive hit. It nailed the aesthetic. But for a specific subset of Nintendo fans, there was a yellow-and-orange-shaped hole in the heart of the story. I’m talking about Princess Daisy. If you grew up playing Mario Kart or Mario Party, you know Daisy isn’t just a "Peach clone." She’s the loud, competitive, and slightly chaotic ruler of Sarasaland. Yet, in the 2023 blockbuster, she was nowhere to be found.
Honestly, it’s a bit weird when you think about it.
Illumination and Nintendo gave us Toad, Donkey Kong, and even a depressive blue star named Lumalee. But the Daisy Mario Bros Movie appearance simply didn't happen. It wasn't a mistake. It was a choice. To understand why she was sidelined—and why her eventual debut is basically a mathematical certainty for the sequel—we have to look at how Nintendo is currently handling its cinematic universe.
The Peach Problem and Why Daisy Didn't Fit
The biggest reason we didn't see Daisy in the first film is that Princess Peach had a massive job to do. In the original games, Peach is the damsel. In the movie, she’s a warrior-queen, a mentor, and a parkour expert. Writers Matthew Fogel and directors Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic needed to establish Peach as a powerhouse first.
Adding Daisy into that mix would have cluttered the narrative.
Think about it. If you have two princesses who are both brave and capable, you risk their personalities bleeding together in a ninety-minute runtime. You’ve only got so much oxygen in a script. By focusing solely on Peach, the movie allowed her to become a fully realized character rather than just "the girl one." Daisy is great, but she’s a lot. She’s high-energy. She screams "I'm Daisy!" every time she hits a golf ball. In a movie already stuffed with Mario’s origin, Luigi’s kidnapping, and Bowser’s musical aspirations, Daisy would have been relegated to a background cameo.
She deserves better than that.
Sarasaland vs. The Mushroom Kingdom
Another logistical hurdle is geography. In the lore—specifically starting with Super Mario Land on the Game Boy in 1989—Daisy doesn't live in the Mushroom Kingdom. She rules Sarasaland. This is a distinct realm with four kingdoms: Birabuto, Muda, Easton, and Chai.
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The first movie was very much about "World 1-1." It was about the discovery of the Mushroom Kingdom and the Jungle Kingdom.
Introducing a third political entity like Sarasaland would have required a whole different set of world-building rules. The Daisy Mario Bros Movie connection needs space to breathe. If they just threw her into the final battle at Brooklyn, it would have felt like fan service without substance. Nintendo is playing the long game here. They are building a "NCU" (Nintendo Cinematic Universe), and you don't play your best cards in the first hand.
The 1993 Ghost
We have to acknowledge the elephant in the room. Or rather, the 1993 live-action movie.
In that fever dream of a film, Samantha Mathis played Princess Daisy. Interestingly, she was the female lead, not Peach. That movie fundamentally changed her backstory, making her an NYU archaeology student who was actually the princess of a subterranean dinosaur dimension. It was... a lot.
While the 2023 movie leaned into some nostalgia, Nintendo is notoriously protective of its brand image now. They likely wanted to distance this new animated era from the 1993 version as much as possible. By excluding Daisy from the first outing, they effectively "reset" the public's cinematic expectation of her. When she finally shows up in the sequel, she will be the "Hi, I'm Daisy!" version we know from the Switch, not the 90s version.
The Power of the Sequel
Let's look at the facts. The Super Mario Bros. Movie cleared over $1.3 billion. A sequel isn't just happening; it’s currently in deep development.
What does a sequel need? New stakes. New worlds. New characters.
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The post-credits scene already teased Yoshi. That’s a given. But you can't just have Yoshi. You need a narrative foil for Peach. This is where Daisy becomes essential. The dynamic between a poised, tactical Peach and a wild, impulsive Daisy is gold. It’s the "buddy cop" energy the franchise needs to stay fresh. If the second movie explores the broader map of the Mario world, a visit to Sarasaland is the logical next step.
Character Design and Potential Voice Casting
If you’ve watched the first movie closely, the art style is incredibly specific. It’s bouncy. It’s expressive. Daisy’s character design—her tan skin, her flower motifs, her shorter, flipped hair—would look stunning in Illumination’s engine.
There is already massive speculation about who should voice her.
Fans have thrown out names like Keke Palmer or Florence Pugh, but Nintendo often goes for a mix of high-profile "vibe" casting and traditional voice acting. Whoever gets the role has to nail the competitive streak. Daisy isn't just "the second princess." She’s the one who would probably beat Mario at arm wrestling and then brag about it for three days. That personality is what will make the Daisy Mario Bros Movie debut a viral moment.
Real Evidence of Her Upcoming Arrival
Nintendo hasn't been silent about Daisy in their other media. In 2023, the same year as the movie, Daisy was made a playable character in Super Mario Bros. Wonder. This was huge. It was her first time being playable in a mainline 2D Mario platformer.
This isn't a coincidence.
Nintendo aligns their marketing. By putting Daisy in the spotlight in the games, they are priming the younger audience—those who might not have played the old NES/SNES titles—to recognize her. They are building her "brand equity." When she appears on a movie poster in 2026 or 2027, the audience will be ready.
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The Luma Connection
Remember the Luma in the cage? The one who kept talking about the "sweet release of death"? That character comes from Super Mario Galaxy.
If the movies are moving toward a Galaxy storyline, Rosalina is the obvious choice. However, some theorists suggest that the movies might merge Daisy and Rosalina’s roles or introduce them as a trio. I think that's unlikely. Daisy is grounded. She’s "earthy." Rosalina is ethereal. Keeping them separate allows for more sequels. Daisy is the perfect character to bridge the gap between the Mushroom Kingdom and the weirder, more distant lands of the Mario universe.
Why Fans Are So Protective
Daisy has always been the underdog. For years, she was relegated to "the sports games." While Peach was being rescued from Bowser for the hundredth time, Daisy was busy winning tennis tournaments and driving go-karts.
That "outsider" status has given her a massive, loyal cult following. People see themselves in her. She’s the girl who doesn't quite fit the "perfect princess" mold. She’s loud. She’s tomboyish. Seeing her in a major motion picture would be a massive win for representation of different "types" of femininity within the Nintendo world.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Collectors
If you are a fan waiting for the Daisy Mario Bros Movie announcement, there are a few things you can do to stay ahead of the curve and track the development.
- Watch the "Super Mario Bros. Wonder" metrics. Nintendo tracks which characters are played most. If Daisy’s play-rate is high, it sends a direct signal to the film's producers that she is a "bankable" asset.
- Monitor Illumination's casting calls. Usually, "Project Names" are used, but casting descriptions for a "spunky, athletic royal" are a dead giveaway for Daisy.
- Check the LEGO leaks. The LEGO Super Mario line often debuts sets months before major movie tie-ins. If we see a "Sarasaland" set or a Daisy's Castle set, the movie trailer won't be far behind.
- Follow the "Princess Power" trend. Nintendo is leaning hard into their female characters right now—take Princess Peach: Showtime! as the prime example. This era of Nintendo is focused on giving their female leads agency. Daisy is the next logical beneficiary of this shift.
Daisy wasn't snubbed because of a lack of popularity. She was saved. By holding her back, Nintendo has ensured that when she finally hits the big screen, it won't be as a background character. It will be as a lead. She is the wild card that the franchise is keeping in its sleeve, ready to bring some much-needed Sarasaland energy to the big screen.
The wait is annoying, sure. But for a character who has been waiting since 1989 to get her real flowers, another few years is nothing. When that yellow dress finally appears in a trailer, the internet is going to break. And honestly? She’d probably love that.
To stay updated on the latest production notes, keep an eye on official Nintendo Directs scheduled for the upcoming fiscal year. These presentations are the primary source for casting news and release windows for the cinematic expansion. Additionally, tracking the trademark filings for "Sarasaland" or "Princess Daisy" in the context of "motion picture entertainment" can provide early confirmation of her role in the sequel before the official trailers drop.