Did you think that Ryan Reynolds was going to limit his marketing genius to just “Deadpool?” No way! The actor’s next role sees him voice the titular character in the upcoming film, “Detective Pikachu.” And to help promote his role, while also in the spirit of the recent Oscars, Reynolds decided to pull back the curtain and show you just how much work he put into going method for his role as the pint-sized, adorable detective.
In the video released by Reynolds, titled appropriately enough “Becoming Pikachu,” he explains the lengths he went to in his quest to fully, err, become Pikachu. He tells a “funny anecdote” about how he found out he landed the role in the film. Reynolds describes how he was on the way to pick up his kids from school but was so overcome with joy and his desire to go full-on Daniel Day-Lewis method that he never picked up his kids, stranding them at school.
Why would he leave his kids at school? Well, as he points out, it’s obviously because “Detective Pikachu doesn’t know who those kids are. Who are they?”
And as you might have gleaned from the crazy reaction that fans had to the first trailer for the film, there’s a lot of anticipation surrounding “Detective Pikachu.” Particularly, how can Reynolds give fans a live-action Pokémon film that lives up to the high standards of the original franchise? Well, never fear! Take it from the man himself, Reynolds is giving it 110% and taking the role very seriously.
“I immersed myself completely in the world of Pokémon,” explained Reynolds. “Read about him. I lived at his height. I tried to lose 182 lbs to match his weight until doctors intervened.”
You know, people don’t normally consider Reynolds someone that can morph his body at will for a role, along the lines of award-winning, capital-A actors like Christian Bale and the aforementioned Day-Lewis. But we’re sure after the world experiences his commitment in the upcoming “Detective Pikachu,” there’ll be think pieces about how Reynolds was so unrecognizable in the role.
“Detective Pikachu” hits theaters on May 10.
