Could Detective Pikachu Set Up A Cinematic Universe?

Hollywood loves nothing more than a franchise, and there is only one thing better than the beloved word. If a lucky executive can pull out a cinematic universe, then they will go down in history for their efforts, and fans are eyeing Detective Pikachu for this very reason.

After all, fans want to know whether Detective Pikachu can pull off an on-screen universe, and the answer is yes.

So, you’ve been warned! There are major spoilers for Detective Pikachu below:

For those who’ve gotten to peep Detective Pikachu, you will notice its main story is fairly insular. The film is focused on Tim Goodman and Detective Pikachu as they try to solve the mystery of Harry Goodman’s alleged murder. The slapstick sleuth story will appeal to casual fans with its cuteness, but the simple plot does more than you may realize.

In the beginning moments of Detective Pikachu, the film does something magical; It manages to lay groundwork for an entire universe. Not only is it mentioned that Pokemon have existed with mankind since ancient times, but the world interacts with these monsters differently based on where you are.

For instance, Ryme City is a pretty novel take for anime and gamers. The brand-new region has never been seen before, and it sees Pokemon live in total harmony with humans. There are no Pokemon battles, trainers, or contests to speak of. The city strives for coexistence, but that isn’t how all the other regions work. In fact, the movie says they each are different, and some of them do embrace Pokemon trainers and gym battles.

This segue gives Detective Pikachu immediate leeway when it comes to expansion. Yes, its standalone story is self-contained and ends with its biggest questions answered. Harry is found. The villain is arrested. Oh, and Pikachu does go back to normal. It does all this, but it still manages to leave some beefy questions unanswered.

Mew? Well, we never touch on that again, and fans only scratched the surface of Pokemon lab experiments. There is an entire underbelly to Pokemon which audiences have yet to see, and that will only expand as more regions come to light.

In the same way Iron Man laid the foundations for a world of superheroes in 2008, Detective Pikachu does the same for Pokemon more than a decade later. Tim may not be Tony Stark, but his engaging performance proves he has what it takes to carry a full-on Pokemon adventure. So, if he’s down for the ride, fans would be happy to follow Tim and his partner as they explore more regions of the (fledgling) Pokemon Cinematic Universe.

So, do you think the Pokemon Cinematic Universe is ready for battle? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!

Pokemon: Detective Pikachu is out in theaters now. You can read out spoiler-free review of the film 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.

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On today’s episode, we talk about how playing too much Pokemon changes our brains as kids, the new Pokemon Unbroken Bonds Trading Card Game set, Detective Pikachu coming to Pokemon GO!, and more! Make sure to subscribe now to never miss an episode!