New voice actors for Mario, Peach, Donkey Kong and more confirmed

Nintendo has announced the voice actors who worked on Mario Kart World, including a new Donkey Kong, Princess Peach and more.

• READ MORE: The best songs in ‘Mario Kart World’ and where to find them

In August 2023, long-serving Mario voice actor Charles Martinet announced he would be stepping down from the role. Martinet first voiced the character in 1994’s Mario Teaches Typing and went on to appear in every Mario game that followed. He also voiced Luigi, Wario and Waluigi.

Mario was voiced by Chris Pratt in the Super Mario Bros. Movie but Kevin Afghani took on the role for 2023’s Super Mario Bros. Wonder. He’s now confirmed he returned for Mario Kart World where he also voices Waluigi, Luigi, Wario and several baby characters.

Hearing myself in Mario Kart is truly an unbelievable experience. Mario Kart was an absolute pillar of my childhood. I cannot believe how lucky of a person I am to be able to be a part of games that mean so much to me.

I hope you all are having an incredible time with the game.

— Kevin Afghani (@KevinAfghani) June 16, 2025

Shortly before the Switch 2 was launched, Princess Peach and Toad voice actor Samantha Kelly announced she’d also been replaced after 18 years. “I’m grateful that I got to do these voices for so many years. Peach and Toad are such strong and beautiful characters that I pray they live forever no matter who voices them,” she said in a statement. “Thank you for so many years of friendship and joy. I’m sad that it’s over, I truly would have wanted to voice Peach and Toad forever.”

Now it’s been confirmed that Courtney Lin voiced Peach in Mario Kart World while Paul Castro Jr. took on the role of the non-playable Toads found throughout the game.

… These characters are so much bigger than ourselves. I am so honored and honestly can still hardly believe it. I have so much respect for all of the Peaches that came before me, especially the one I grew up with (cont)

— Courtney Lin DRACULAURA MONSTER HIGH (@thecourtneylin) July 21, 2025

“Been playing on my trips and it’s so much darn fun. Can’t thank Nintendo enough for letting me live out this childhood dream,” Castro Jr. wrote on X. He went on to confirm that “the ‘playable’ Toad is another VA who I’m sure will announce themselves at some point presumably.”

“I can finally say… I’m the voice of Princess Peach and Baby Peach in Mario Kart World! Eternally grateful for Nintendo for trusting me to help carry the legacy of this icon,” wrote Lin. “These characters are so much bigger than ourselves. I am so honored and honestly can still hardly believe it. I have so much respect for all of the Peaches that came before me, especially the one I grew up with.”

Laura Stahl has confirmed she voices Toadette in Mario Kart World while Dawn M. Bennett announced her return as Nabbit. “I scream and shout enough when I play Kart, now I get to do it in character?!”

Meanwhile Koji Takeda has been announced as the voice actor for Donkey Kong in World and Bananza after playing DK in the Japanese version of The Super Mario Bros. Movie.

In other news, Nintendo has revealed the details of the paid Switch 2 upgrade for Super Mario Party Jamboree and fans aren’t impressed.

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