Ryan Reynolds to Play Pikachu in Detective Pikachu Film

In an announcement that has surprised everybody, it has been revealed that Hollywood actor Ryan Reynolds — most recently praised for his depiction of the comic book character Deadpool in the film of the same name — will be starring in the live-action Pokemon movie titled Detective Pikachu. He will be providing both his voice and motion capture for the character in this live-action adaptation of the Japan-exclusive Pokemon spin-off game.

Many other mainstream Hollywood actors were considered for the role of the titular Detective Pikachu, including Mark Wahlberg, Hugh Jackman, and Dwayne Johnson. Some time ago, a large number of Pokemon fans requested that Danny DeVito try out for the part, even leading to a fan petition with several thousand signatures, though DeVito apparently declined auditioning for the role.

For the sake of getting people up to speed, Great Detective Pikachu was a spin-off Pokemon game released in Japan for the 3DS eShop that revolved around the player working with a talking Pikachu detective to solve mysteries. Shortly after the game’s release in Japan, Legendary Entertainment acquired the rights to make a film based on the Detective Pikachu character, though not necessarily an adaptation of the game itself. Production of the film began in 2017, and here we are now, in a world where Ryan Reynolds will be playing Pikachu in the first live-action Pokemon movie, alongside Kathryn Newton of Big Little Lies fame.

It may also be of interest to some to know that one of the main writers assigned to the project is none other than Alex Hirsch, creator of the hit Disney mystery cartoon Gravity Falls. He will be joined by veteran writer for Marvel Studios Nicole Perlman, who was a writer for the first Guardians of the Galaxy and writing consultant on the first Thor as well as a writer for the upcoming Captain Marvel film. 

The film will be directed by Rob Letterman, who was the director of the 2010 adaptation of Gulliver’s Travels starring Jack Black and was also an executive producer on the recent Dreamworks adaptation Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie among other things. Nothing is known about any plans for release regarding the Detective Pikachu movie, but with certain casting choices going public, we may be able to expect more news soon.

Stay tuned to GameSkinny for more news about Detective Pikachu as it develops.