The first trailer for Detective Pikachu was released today by Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures and introduced the world to a Pikachu with the voice of Ryan Reynolds. Though the trailer seems to have been very well-received, the reaction to Reynolds' voice coming out of Pikachu is mixed.
The film is loosely based on the 2016 game of the same name in which voice actor Kaiji Tang voiced the titular character. However, the lovable, yellow Pokemon is usually voiced by, Japanese voice actress, Ikue Ōtani - and, in a nice ode to the actress who's been attached to the role since 1997, she actually features in the trailer as Pikachu.
As explained in the trailer, Pikachu's new partner-in-crime seems to be able to understand what he's saying, in the English voice of Ryan Reynolds, however everyone else only hears "Pika! Pika!" in the traditional, adorable voice of Pikachu. This is demonstrated briefly in the trailer, wherein we hear Pikachu's traditional speech, and its there that Ōtani features.
What do you think of Ōtani's return to the role? Are you looking forward to Detective Pikachu?
Detective Pikachu is set to release on May 10th, 2019.