Okay somethings that need clearing up:
1.) For the last time, JIGGLYPUFF, CAPTAIN FALCON, AND NESS ARE NOT GONE.
They are original Smash characters. Do you really think he's going to remove the characters from the very first smash game who have appeared in 2 games already? No, of course he won't. Every original character has a strong fanbase and NONE of the original 12 are gone.
2.) Tom Nook is not the playable character from the AC stage. Notice that he's already in the stage
Reread that interview. He specifically calls him "The Animal Crossing character." That means... the Animal Crossing character lol. In other words the character you play as in the AC games. Also read this part: "The Animal Crossing character is very much like the one in the games. You know, he will use his axe, fishing rod, bug catching net, and everything else from the games." There is only one character in AC that uses all those items, and that's the player character.