The Super Mario Galaxy Movie contains a lot of characters and a lot of cameos – too many to keep track of on your first watch, that's for sure.
Most of the main characters from the original film make a return for its sequel, but someone who was conspicuously absent from pre-release marketing was Donkey Kong. He played a pretty crucial role in The Super Mario Bros. Movie, but does he actually show up at all in its sequel? Well, let's find out.
Is Donkey Kong in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie?
Yes and no... Let us explain.
In terms of the main cast of characters, Donkey Kong skips the new movie entirely. Instead, his role as side-kick is taken up by Yoshi and Fox McCloud, who both make their debut.
However, eagle-eyed viewers will be able to spot DK fairly early in the movie when a sequence explaining Yoshi's backstory plays out. Y'see, Yoshi finds himself stuck in Brooklyn, Mario and Luigi's home borough in New York City, before eventually making his way into the Sand Kingdom from Super Mario Odyssey.
As the sequence depicts Yoshi's antics, we get a brief glimpse of DK in the background thumping his chest. It's a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment, so actor Seth Rogan has no need to provide any lines this time around.
Will there be a Donkey Kong spin-off movie?
Nothing has been confirmed at the time of writing, but rumours persist of a potential Donkey Kong spin-off movie, especially after a copyright listing was spotted in 2025.
Indeed, Nintendo will be keen to branch out beyond the main Super Mario series, especially after DK got a huge boost in popularity with Donkey Kong Bananza on Switch 2. The character's complete absence from The Super Mario Galaxy Movie does raise an important question: just what exactly is he up to?
Does his brief cameo during Yoshi's sequence serve a wider purpose? Or is it just a harmless nod to remind audiences of our loveable ape?
We'll keep an eye out for any announcements in the future, but we wouldn't be surprised to see a Donkey Kong movie at some point.