While watching the trailer for The Super Mario Bros. Movie, one Diablo 2 fan noticed a few similarities with the memorable cinematic intro from the Lord of Destruction cinematic. The parallels have caused some fans to compare what is known of Bowser in The Super Mario Bros. Movie with Baal from Diablo 2.
The cinematic from Diablo 2: Lord of Destruction has the Greater Evil Baal arrive at the gates of Mount Arreat, where a single man emerges to rebuke him. After being dispatched, Baal throws open the gates and invades the barbarian lands so he can reach the Worldstone.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie trailer has Bowser’s entourage reaching the gates of the icy Penguin Kingdom and demanding entry much the same as Baal. He is rebuked by the Penguin King and his forces before quickly defeating them. Bowser then blasts open the gate and claims his prize–a Super Star. YouTuber Zeptagious cut together pieces from both trailers and put them side-by-side, showcasing similar shots and themes from between them.
The side-by-side comparison is quite comedic to watch. Zeptagious did an excellent job finding similar scenes between the two cinematics, though he sped up and slowed down some segments to make them match better. While it is obvious The Super Mario Bros. Movie did not plagiarize the 20-year-old Diablo 2 cinematic, both do share inspiration from similar sources–after all, Lord of Destruction was hardly the first piece of media to showcase a villain besieging a gate with a display of overwhelming force to acquire a MacGuffin.
Nevertheless, both Diablo and Mario fans got a kick out of the comparison. Some said Bowser must have copied Baal’s homework, while others said Jack Black’s stellar performance in The Super Mario Bros. Movie trailer should earn the Koopa King the title Lord of Destruction. The video sparked the thought of what a Mario-themed isometric dungeon looter like Diablo would look like for many fans–a genre bend of Mario that could be as memorable as the Super Mario RPG.
The trailer for The Super Mario Bros. Movie surprised many fans with how much fun it looked. Most fans agreed Bowser stole the show as effortlessly as he did the Penguin Kingdom’s Super Star. Most fans aren’t so certain about Chris Pratt’s performance as Mario, however. Though the trailer only featured a few lines from the iconic Nintendo hero, some fans are not yet charmed by the Guardians of the Galaxy actor’s performance. Though fans will have to see if Pratt can live up to their expectations, it seems likely that Black’s Bowser will be a show-stopping villain as popular as the Lord of Destruction himself.
Diablo 2: Resurrected is available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch. The Super Mario Bros. Movie is scheduled to be released on April 7, 2023.