The original Super Mario Bros movie’s Luigi thinks the animated film’s casting has gone “backwards”

The actor behind Luigi in the original Super Mario Bros. movie (the live-action one that’s good, actually) John Leguizamo has criticized the casting of the animated remake.

No one is entirely happy with the casting of the Super Mario Bros. movie (mostly by Chris Pratt), but one of the original actors playing the taller, greener Mario brother recently offered some criticism of the casting. Leguizamo recently spoke with indiewirewhere he expressed his dissatisfaction with the lack of diversity in the film developed by Illumination.

“I’m OG. A lot of people love the original,” Leguizamo told IndieWire. “I did Comic-Con in New York and in Baltimore, and everyone was like, ‘No, no, we love the old one, the original.’ They’re not feeling the new one. I’m not a hitter, it’s unfortunate.”

The actor went on to talk about his casting in the original film, saying, “Directors Annabel Jankel and Rocky Morton fought hard for me to be the lead because I was a Latino man and I [the studio] I didn’t want me to be the lead. They fought very hard, and it was a breakthrough. So that they go back and do not throw another [actor of colour] stinks”.

Casting for the film was announced last year, surprising everyone when it was revealed that Guardians of the Galaxy star Pratt would be voicing the character, instead of Mario Charles Martinet himself. It seems the recent trailer caused Martinet some pain, as voice actress Tara Strong asked fans to recall a memory of her experience with Mario’s voice actor after discussing casting for the film.

Other cast members include Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, Charlie Day as Luigi, Jack Black as Bowser, Keegan-Michael Key as Toad (who does some singing in the film), and Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong.