Ever since the Detective Pikachu film was first announced, fans have been curious just who would be suitable to play the titular role. Although a petition was started to have Detective Pikachu voiced by Danny Devito, it's hard to be disappointed with the announcement that the job is going to Ryan Reynolds instead.

The Deadpool star will be lending his voice and using motion-capture technology to become a very special variation on the iconic yellow "mouse." In Detective Pikachu, actress Justice Smith will team up with the crime-solving Pokemon in order to find her kidnapped father.

Although most of the film's casting has been kept tightly under wraps, we know that Reynolds and Smith will be joined by Kathryn Newton (Big Little Lies) who is set to play a sassy journalist that will help the duo on their quest. Detective Pikachu will begin filming in London next year, with an official start date of January 18, 2018.

The script is written by Alex Hirsh (Gravity Falls) and Nicole Perlman (Guardians of the Galaxy), and the movie is set to be the very first live action Pokemon film. After over twenty years of animation, the franchise is finally stepping into the real world, and a successful film could lead to a lot more live action products in the future.

Although the concept seems like a strange direction for The Pokemon Company to head in, the film is actually based on a game that released back in 2016. Great Detective Pikachu released exclusively in Japan and featured the detective's first appearance as he assisted Tim Goodman in solving a range of mysteries.

Ryan Reynolds wasn't the only candidate in the running for the role however, with Hugh Jackman, Mark Wahlberg, and Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson all considered to play Detective Pikachu. Although it was reported previously that none of the candidates had yet been approached by the film's creative team, it seems that the choice was still made from the list of Hollywood superstars.

Detective Pikachu has no confirmed release date.

Source: Hollywood Reporter