Ryan Reynolds Talks Why Pokemon Hasn’t Gone Live-Action Before Detective Pikachu

Pokemon: Detective Pikachu will soon be giving the ultra-popular Pokemon franchise a whole new look when it hits theaters in just a matter of days, and excitement has been through the roof as the franchise has never seen a project of this magnitude. For a video game, anime, and merchandising juggernaut like Pokemon, 23 years might seem like a long time for a film like this to finally happen.

Speaking with star of the film and voice of the titular Detective Pikachu, Ryan Reynolds, ComicBook.com was able to get Reynolds’ opinion on why a live-action Pokemon film didn’t happen until this year.

As for his prior experience with the franchise, “I knew about Pokemon, but I didn’t know much about the nuance and detail, so I sort of just missed it. I checked it all out, and it was fantastic, amazing world. I can’t believe there hasn’t been a live-action movie before.” Getting down to brass tax as for why, Reynolds said, “I don’t think technology actually caught up to this. Anytime you get to be part of a pioneering trip like this, it’s pretty exciting.”

It’s not surprising Reynolds would think technology plays a key factor in a live-action film as he got a sample of it when he was first approached for the film. Talking about he felt back then, “I was a lot of things. I make it all seem spur of the moment and cool, but I did a lot of checking around. The first thing they did was actually create a CGI Detective Pikachu and they actually paired my voice with it to see what it would sound like…Super adorable, super cute little guy with an impatient, acerbic voice.”

Directed by Rob Letterman, and co-written by Dan Hernandez, Benji Samit, Nicole Perlman, and Derek Connolly, Pokemon: Detective Pikachu is currently scheduled for a release on May 10th. The film stars Ryan Reynolds (as the voice of the titular Pikachu), Justice Smith, Kathryn Newton, Ken Watanabe, Khary Payton, Bill Nighy, Suki Waterhouse, Chris Geere, Rita Ora, and Omar Chaparro. You can read out spoiler-free review of the film here.

You can find out how to purchase tickets for yourself here. The official synopsis for Pokemon: Detective Pikachu reads as such, “The story begins when ace detective Harry Goodman goes mysteriously missing, prompting his 21-year-old son Tim to find out what happened. Aiding in the investigation is Harry’s former Pokémon partner, Detective Pikachu: a hilariously wise-cracking, adorable super-sleuth who is a puzzlement even to himself. Finding that they are uniquely equipped to communicate with one another, Tim and Pikachu join forces on a thrilling adventure to unravel the tangled mystery. Chasing clues together through the neon-lit streets of Ryme City—a sprawling, modern metropolis where humans and Pokémon live side by side in a hyper-realistic live-action world—they encounter a diverse cast of Pokémon characters and uncover a shocking plot that could destroy this peaceful co-existence and threaten the whole Pokémon universe.”

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Exciting news, Pokemon fans — A Wild Podcast Has Appeared, the official Pokemon podcast of ComicBook.com, is here! Check it out by clicking here or listen below.

On today’s premiere episode, we talk Detective Pikachu, discuss the new Pokemon Pass app, run down Pokemon Go‘s Legendaries, and more! Make sure to subscribe now to never miss an episode!