If you're wondering why there was no tribute to Mario, one of the world's most famous video game characters, in the Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony, then we've got the answer for you.

Japanese magazine Bunshun has got a hold of the original plans for the Nintendo-themed part of the opening ceremony, and it was meant to feature none other than Lady Gaga. What a world that would have been.

Lady Gaga (who is Italian) was meant to speak at the ceremony via video link, then jump into a warp pipe from the Mario games, before Japanese comedian Naomi Watanabe popped out of the pipe in Tokyo.

what might be the most noteworthy cut for non-J-pop followers....the Mario pipe thing from the Rio handover ceremony was set to appear again...but this time Lady Gaga would deliver a remote message, put on a Mario hat and go in the pipe...with Naomi Watanabe coming out in Tokyo pic.twitter.com/PUQRKYZHdP

— Patrick St. Michel (@mbmelodies) July 28, 2021

Lady Gaga and Naomi Watanabe are linked thanks to Naomi's remake of Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande's Rain On Me video, so it actually makes a lot of sense. 

Sadly, Nintendo bailed at the last minute, meaning we didn't get to see Lady Gaga disappear into a Mario pipe, which seems like a sentence that only 2021 could provide. 80% of Japanese people were against the Olympics, so Nintendo made the decision to remove themselves from the opening ceremony, not wanting to face the wrath of Japan.

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Unfortunately, the real loser here is the people watching the ceremony (and of course, Lady Gaga). Hopefully she gets to live out her Mario-themed dreams in the future - maybe in a future music video?