'Super Mario Galaxy Movie' canon: Miyamoto confirms Peach backstory will shape future games

Miyamoto says Princess Peach’s movie backstory will be used in future Mario games despite past flexibility

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie has introduced new character details that may influence future titles in Nintendo’s long-running franchise. According to series creator Shigeru Miyamoto, Princess Peach’s expanded backstory from the film is expected to be reflected in upcoming Mario games.

The animated film, produced by Universal and Illumination, has remained at the top of the U.S. box office for three consecutive weeks and has generated nearly $750 million globally.

Its commercial performance has brought renewed attention to how narrative elements from the film could impact the wider Mario universe.

One of the film’s key revelations is that Princess Peach and Rosalina are sisters who were separated at a young age. In an interview with Nintendo Dream, Miyamoto explained that this detail was not part of long-established lore but was created specifically for the film.

“Before making this movie, I hadn’t decided on the character’s backstory,” Miyamoto said. “But now that I’m making the movie, it’s become fun to expand on the character in various ways. Therefore, I would like to adhere as much as possible to the settings created in the movie in future games.”

Miyamoto also addressed Nintendo’s long-standing approach to storytelling, noting that limited character backstories have allowed flexibility in game development.

“Because we don’t know what kind of game we’ll make next with our characters, having too many character settings would become a constraint,” he said. “I’m fine with being bound by the gameplay, but I don’t want to be bound by having created a story.”

While the inclusion of this new lore marks a shift, Miyamoto indicated that gameplay will remain the priority. The extent to which the Peach and Rosalina storyline will influence future titles has not been confirmed.