As franchises, Pokémon and Digimon rose to prominence in North America within the same few years. While Pokémon had the edge, partially thanks to the popularity of the video games, it cannot be denied that Digimon shows, movies, games, and toys were very popular as well. Many have fond memories of the Digimon show and toys, and many remain fans to this day.
In 2019 Detective Pikachu was released, a live-action film based on the Pokémon spin-off game of the same name. The movie is entirely live-action, with the Pokémon themselves incorporated through high-end visual effects. In July 2021, it was announced that Netflix is actively developing a live-action Pokémon series to be done in the same way, written and produced by Lucifer showrunner Joe Henderson.
With Digimon experiencing a bit of a resurgence in the past few years, along with the rising popularity of 1990's nostalgia, it feels surprising that there has not been more discussion of a live-action Digimon adaptation. Rumors about one being in development have come up occasionally since Disney acquired the rights to 20th Century Fox--and therefore Digimon--but there has been nothing concrete and nothing has come from it.
Digimon began as a virtual pet or "V-pet" toy called "Digital Monsters" that was released in 1997. Similar to the popular Tamagotchi, owners of "Digital Monsters" began with a baby Digimon that they had to train and take care of. Each Digimon had several evolution capabilities, evolving into stronger monsters. Owners would connect to the devices of other Digimon owners so that their V-pets could battle.
This concept was turned into an anime in early 1999, airing first in Japan and then premiering in North America months later in August 1999, soon spreading internationally. The first four Digimon series aired one after another, with Digimon Adventure followed by Digimon Adventure 02, Digimon Tamers, and Digimon Frontier. After a three-year hiatus, Digimon: Data Squad ran from 2006-2007, followed by Digimon Fusion from 2010-2012, and Digimon: App Masters between 2016 and 2017. The first four series, later packaged together as Digimon: Digital Monsters, remained the most popular and successful in North America. This is probably why the Digimon Adventure cartoon series was rebooted in 2020.
Between 1999 and 2020, there have been eighteen Digimon movies released in Japan, all featuring characters from the television show. The first several movies, which were all fairly short, were spliced together to create Digimon: The Movie, which received a theatrical release worldwide. The release had a lot of marketing power behind it; it was linked to a short with characters from popular cartoon Angela Anaconda, promoted via a kids meal tie-in with Taco Bell, and featured a soundtrack of catchy popular songs from North America. The film did very well commercially but was criticized by reviewers, and by many fans in hindsight, because of how disconnected the storyline felt. No other Digimon movie has received a worldwide release.
Digimon Adventure followed seven children who are transported into the Digital World through devices called Digivices. In the Digital World, they befriend Digital Monsters (Digimon), which they partner with and learn to train to Digivolve into stronger forms in order to battle enemies. These children soon learn that they are the "Digidestined," destined to save the Digital World. The show takes place both in the real world and in the Digital World. It is possible for the Digimon to leave the Digital World, and several Digimon in the series spend quite a lot of time outside it.
A live-action Digimon adaptation would have to depict both the real world and the Digital World. The easiest way to do this would be to have the scenes within the Digital World be animated, while the scenes in the real world would be live-action. Digimon venturing outside the Digital World could be rendered in high-end animation, as seen in Detective Pikachu, for example. This combination of live-action and animation would require a lot of time and effort. It would be a long process as well as expensive. A Digimon movie or television series done in this fashion would require a fairly sizeable budget.
Any project that requires such a large budget becomes a risk for a studio to take. They would have to assess whether it is worth the time and money to make. Digimon has a bigger fanbase than many franchises that have gotten adaptations, with a currently running cartoon reboot and successful video games. On top of that, despite not being the pop culture juggernaut that Pokémon is, Digimon inspires feelings of nostalgia in a lot of people. However, nostalgia does not guarantee success. Several films based on popular content from the 1990's or earlier have been made only to become critical and/or box office disappointments.
Disney, which now owns the rights to Digimon, has certainly proved that they have the budget to create a live-action Digimon. It would come down to heads at Disney to decide whether that was a project they were willing to invest in. Streaming service Disney Plus could provide an avenue for a Digimon live-action television series to exist. More people might be willing to give a Digimon series a chance if it was easily accessible on a platform they already have and can watch on their own time. Disney Plus has a large enough subscriber base that a Digimon series could reach an audience of both interested fans and those who are just curious.
Detective Pikachu took an interesting route, choosing to adapt a spin-off game rather than the most popular season of the Pokemon cartoon. The Detective Pikachu storyline was new for most fans and felt like an interesting and creative story told in the already well-known Pokemon world. If there was to be a Digimon reboot, showrunners would have to decide whether to go this route, or to adapt the popular Digimon Adventure cartoon. Since many are not as familiar with the Digimon extended universe, using characters that would be familiar to more fans could be a bigger draw. However, it could also risk feeling repetitive or draw criticism from fans if not done correctly.
There is nothing about Digimon that makes a live-action adaptation impossible. While it would be expensive, there are many television shows and movies with larger budgets, and Disney definitely has the resources. In the end, what is most important is that Digimon be adapted by people who make the effort to understand the universe, the characters, and what exactly people love about the franchise. This would make the money and effort it would take to create worthwhile for both the studio and fans.