'Pokémon Detective Pikachu' Was A DeVito Away From Perfection

Pokémon Detective Pikachu was a massive hit with everyone whose soul wasn't a hardened, blackened crust. The story of an age indeterminate trainer analog, who travels to the big city before realizing that his father was wrapped up in a conspiracy that only his dad's Pikachu can hope to help unravel, which is helped by the fact that this Pokemon is completely sentient and also a detective maybe?

The film's unique take on the Pokémon universe, mixing an adventure coming of age story with overwhelming sci-fi Pokémon, was a runaway success that could've only been improved if they had gone with their original idea for the titular rat. In the film, Ryan Reynolds serves as the voice of Pikachu in the same snarky, I'm too charming to hate but too wooden to love voice he's maintained since the Green Lantern movie, but the original idea was for the perfect man to take the role. The Trash Man.

Before Reynolds was announced, a popular joke was that Danny DeVito needed to become Detective Pikachu. The absurd idea was made much less absurd by the fact that DeVito was really considered for the role. The creators even went as far as actually animating Pikachu saying Danny DeVito quotes from other films, including It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. 

This, but Pikachu.

They even said that while DeVito ultimately wasn’t chosen, the idea of him portraying Pikachu went as far as affecting the tone of Pikachu and how he was animated, which comes through in that he’s budgy and likable and not a bikini model with the charm of a very hot broom. 

While it didn’t become a reality, the early tests with DeVitochu still exist somewhere out there, waiting to be seen. 

Never forget.

Top Image: Gage Skidmore, Warner Bros.