How Does Detective Pikachu Set Up a Sequel?

While the Pokemon franchise has existed in video games, trading cards, and animated TV shows for decades, this weekend marks the first time that we’ll see the beloved creatures in a live-action adventure. Pokemon: Detective Pikachu is finally set to hit theaters, bringing Pokemon to life in a way we’ve never seen them before, and likely kicking off an entire future franchise. But how exactly does the movie set itself up for sequels? Let’s break it down.

WARNING: This article contains major spoilers from Detective Pikachu! Continue reading at your own risk…

So the Detective Pikachu does a much better job at setting up the universe of Pokemon than it does direct sequels. There are references to Kanto in the film, a mysterious backstory for Mewtwo that could hint at the story of the original Pokemon anime, and several teases about trainers and tournaments. There are literally endless options for spinoffs, but only one direction for a sequel, and it’s not all too obvious.

The end of the movie seems to make Detective Pikachu a one-off story. (Again, MAJOR spoilers coming, so leave now if you don’t want to know what happens.) It’s revealed that Pikachu and Tim’s missing father were actually one in the same. Mewtwo had merged them in order to save their lives and keep them hidden from those trying to track them down. In the final scene of the movie, Mewtwo splits the duo up again, showing a separate Pikachu and Ryan Reynolds.

This makes a sequel a little bit difficult, since Reynolds’ voice is no longer attached to Pikachu, but the father and son story continued on as the credits started to roll. The two joked about working together as detectives, so that’s a solid direction for a sequel. It was also shown in the film just how easy it is for Mewtwo to merge a person and a Pokemon. If there is a difficult mission to undertake in the future, they may need to create the talking Detective Pikachu once again.

What did you think of Detective Pikachu? Are you hoping to see a sequel in the future? Let us know in the comments!

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