The Super Mario Bros. Movie was never going to flop, even if the film isn't the greatest thing to ever hit theaters. It has an all-star cast and Mario is arguably the most popular video game character of all time. Hopefully, it will be successful enough to keep Nintendo in the film business.
There are a number of Nintendo properties that could benefit from a feature film. You can play these characters in a variety of games. From Mario Party, Mario Kart, and Super Smash Bros., Nintendo has done a wonderful job of giving the spotlight to as many characters as possible. They'd only become more well-known with their own movie.
10 Captain Olimar
Captain Olimar is the protagonist of the first Pikmin game. The series features puzzles that you and your plant-like Pikmin need to solve to progress. The story of the game has just the right amount of science fiction and drama for a movie.
Olimar crash lands on a mysterious planet and needs to find the parts of his ship. From there, he must use the native Pikmin to help him along the way. Just think of the money made by Pikmin merchandise after kids see this one in the theater.
9 Agent 3
Agent 3 as the main character of a Splatoon film just feels right. While Splatoon is a shooter-style series, a film featuring Agent 3 could be gang warfare with a splash of a sports theme. Base it around Splatfest and show some Turf Wars.
The battle for territory would set the stage for an epic showdown at the end. Each team during Splatfest would paint the town against each other until it ended with just one as the victor. Inkopolis, where the game takes place, is just begging to be on the big screen.
8 Ness
Sci-fi films are always in demand. EarthBound, with Ness in the leading role, could easily be adapted into a movie. People would rally behind the 13-year-old boy with a fondness for baseball bats and caps.
It starts with a meteor hitting Earth, which kicks off Ness' journey to save the future. Giygas is a great villain to have in an EarthBound film. Known as "The Embodiment of Evil," he'd have you on the edge of your seat while you cheer Ness on in defeating him.
7 Captain Falcon
A racing movie with a bit of bounty hunting here and there could bring F-Zero to life. Unlike a lot of movies that Nintendo could make, one featuring Captain Falcon should be live-action. The Captain definitely deserves it.
Black Shadow is a top-tier bad guy. Imagine Captain Falcon being sabotaged in an F-Zero race, only to survive and fight off Black Shadow's goons before chasing down the big bad himself. It writes itself.
6 Kirby
It's very surprising that Kirby hasn't had a big-budget film yet. The small, yet feisty pink ball of joy has been one of Nintendo's most beloved characters since 1992. Since then, there have been over a dozen stories that could be adapted into a film.
Kirby is the perfect protagonist for newer fans to fall in love with and older fans to get excited for. He's just plain cute and marketable. The anticipation by you and other moviegoers for the first time he sucks in an object and gains its powers is too good to pass up.
5 Fox McCloud
The fact that there hasn't been a StarFox movie yet is downright criminal. Give us a mix of Top Gun and Star Wars with Fox McCloud as the focus. Of course, his longtime partners on the Star Fox team, Falco Lombardi, Slippy Toad, and Peppy Hare, would all be there alongside him.
The plot of Star Fox 64 is the best bet for a film. It has a villain exiled to a far-off planet, that villain biding his time before returning, and a slew of space battles fit for the silver screen. Not to mention, the theater will erupt when they hear, "Do a barrel roll!"
4 The Villager
A Japanese film based on the Animal Crossing series is already a reality, but there have been zero plans for an English release. With the success of the series starting to dwindle after New Horizons, a feature film would rekindle that.
The Villager, or even two with a male and female appearing, has plenty of adventures waiting. They could meet the other villagers, dig up treasures, and pay off their debt to Tom Nook. As mundane as that sounds, Animal Crossing's popularity guarantees a hit.
3 Samus Aran
A Metroid movie is a must. Samus Aran and her stories could deliver a horror-style film akin to Alien. This would propel her superstar status even further, as she'd be a powerful heroine that viewers could relate to or compare to other female horror leads.
There are so many bosses from the series that could translate into a movie. Dark Samus, Raven Beak, and Ridley are just a few that come to mind. Samus upgrading her power suit, traveling in ball form, and shooting enemies with her arm cannon is more than enough action for a feature film.
2 Link
If there is one Nintendo character who needs a feature film based on the number of stories to be told, it is Link. The hero of The Legend of Zelda series has been around for decades, thwarting Ganon and trying to save the titular princess.
A Link to the Past, Ocarina of Time, Skyward Sword, and Breath of the Wild are great examples of Zelda games that could be made into a movie. And that's not even the tip of the iceberg in terms of games featuring Link. Anything Nintendo puts to film with the character would be a success.
1 Luigi
The Super Mario Bros. Movie has a huge cast of characters from the plumber's universe. As always, Luigi is there taking a backseat to Nintendo's number-one hero. The green brother more than deserves his own film after this outing.
He has gotten the game series Luigi's Mansion. Now, it's time for a movie. A spinoff of The Super Marios Bros. Movie where Luigi randomly wins a mansion, battles with King Boo, and catches ghosts is a no-brainer at this point.