The voice actors behind Mario Kart World’s Toad and Princess Peach have spoken out about their roles, following the unexpected departure of veteran voice actress Samantha Kelly after 18 years. Kelly, who had voiced both Princess Peach and Toad in over 70 games across Nintendo DS, 3DS, Wii, Wii U, and Switch since 2007, was blindsided by her sudden replacement.
The news broke on the day of the Nintendo Switch 2 launch, when Mario Kart World was released without her involvement.
Newcomers to the iconic roles, Paul Castro Jr. and Courtney Lin, took to their X/Twitter accounts to announce their roles in the game. Castro, who now voices Toad, expressed his excitement: “I can finally share who I voice in Mario Kart World… TOAD!(s)! Male Toads you hear throughout your travels in Mario Kart World are voiced by me! 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.”
Meanwhile, Lin, who has stepped into the shoes of Princess Peach and Baby Peach, shared her heartfelt gratitude: “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. These characters are so much bigger than ourselves. I am so honored and honestly can still hardly believe it.”
The sudden changes come after a series of unexpected voice casting shifts at Nintendo. Takashi Nagasako, who voiced Donkey Kong for 21 years, was also replaced in Mario Kart World, with Kouji Takeda taking over the role. Takeda had previously voiced Donkey Kong in the Japanese version of the Super Mario Bros. Movie, and now appears to be the new video game voice of the character.
In an era where Nintendo has become more secretive about its game credits, the company’s decision to make these changes has left fans with mixed feelings. Charles Martinet’s recent retirement from voicing Mario, Luigi, Wario, and Waluigi after nearly three decades of work signals further shifts in the world of Mario voice actors. Yet, despite the ongoing transitions, both Castro and Lin expressed their excitement and dedication to honoring the legacy of the beloved characters.