Watch: Detective Pikachu’ Official Trailer: Ryan Reynolds Brings Pokémon Mayhem

Reynolds trades R-rated superhero jokes for Pokémon in his upcoming summer tentpole.

Ryan Reynolds is famous for playing the world’s most beloved R-rated superhero thanks to his massively successful “Deadpool” franchise, but he’s about to take on a beloved role of a different sort: Pikachu. The actor has teamed up with Warner Bros. and director Rob Letterman for the upcoming “Detective Pikachu,” a live-action/animated hybrid adventure in which he voices the adorable yellow Pokémon opposite “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” and “The Get Down” star Justice Smith.

The official synopsis from Warner Bros. reads: “Chasing clues together through the neon-lit streets of Ryme City — a sprawling, modern metropolis where humans and Pokémon live side by side in a hyper-realistic live-action world — Pikachu and [a young man (Smith) investigating the disappearance of his father] encounter a diverse cast of Pokémon characters and uncover a shocking plot that could destroy this peaceful co-existence and threaten the whole Pokémon universe.”
Letterman has experience in both the animated and live-action filmmaking worlds, having directed “Shark Tale,” “Monsters vs. Aliens,” and the Jack Black-starring “Goosebumps.” Starring opposite Reynolds and Smith is an ensemble cast that includes Ken Watanabe, Bill Nighy, Suki Waterhouse, and “Big Little Lies” and “Blockers” breakout Kathryn Newton.

“Detective Pikachu” is one of Warner Bros.’ major tentpoles of the summer movie season. The film should prove appealing to both children and teenagers, and it already has a built-in global appeal thanks to the “Pokémon” brand. The film is the first “Pokémon” movie ever made that incorporates live-action elements. Warner Bros. is also opening “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” and “Shaft” this summer. The studio’s DCEU entry “Shazam!” opens in April. As for Reynolds, “Pikachu” opens during a limbo period for the “Deadpool” franchise, as future entries have not been announced under the Disney-Fox merger.

Warner Bros. will open “Detective Pikachu” in theaters nationwide May 10. Watch the official trailer below.