If you’re aware of the petition going around that’s attempting to have Nintendo cast Danny Devito as the voice of Detective Pikachu, their loveable, new crime-solving Pokemon coming to the 3DS soon. The petition currently has 32,235 supporters on Change.org, but the real proof that it needs to happen is right here.
Above, courtesy of Tealhollow1 on YouTube, is a mashup of DeVito’s work with the trailer for Great Detective Pikachu. An excellent representation of what it would sort of be like if DeVito voiced the electric rodent detective. But that’s just for giggles when you really look at DeVito’s qualifications for the job, mostly due to his wild background as It’s Always Sunny’s Frank Reynolds.
Man With A Plan
If there’s anything a great detective needs, it’s a plan. We know this from all those Batman comics over the years and those few episodes of Elementary that we caught at the doctor’s office. Frank Reynolds is always a man with some sort of plan, like paying hookers in order to frack the heck out of a ski resort or whipping up a frenzy so people will buy his products. He’s also fairly handy with a firearm, as we’ve seen plenty of times throughout the series.
Man Of Action
His Thundergunning nature is a must for Detective Pikachu, especially when it comes to bending the rules a little to solve the case. If you’re not willing to steal a tour boat, blow up a guy’s van or enter an apartment building that’s being fumigated, you’re not fit to be a hard-boiled detective.
Master Of Disguise
Frank knows where to get his make up and he’s aware of the difficulties in finding a proper way to hide the scars of war. That’s helpful for a detective, someone who might be fighting bad guys and getting some rough treatment by the unsavory elements of the night. Also good to know that you have a few resources to fall back on, namely Frank’s colorful supporting cast of friends. Morticians, bridge people, and homeless masochists are great folks.
Hidden In Plain Sight
Going with the last point, Frank has no qualms about hiding to get the scoop. It might be a couch, it might be a dumpster, it might be at the trash dump. Frank Reynolds will dig, sweat, and squeeze into any spot he can find in order to build up an advantage over other folks.
A Tragic Past With Lost Love
Every film noir detective deals with a tragic or mysterious past, one he or she might be on the run from in their current situation. It could be one of violence or lost passion that still burns beneath walls of memories. Frank Reynolds is no stranger to pain and he can easily translate that to the detective role, but only if he can stand the pain one more time.
Has Seen Violence And Death
If you think Pikachu hasn’t seen violence, you clearly haven’t paid attention to a Pokemon game in your entire life. The same can be said for Frank Reynolds, who has seen animals devour people and has seen blood gush from wounds in Vietnam — probably. He’s even caused a little mayhem himself or has seen his fair share of damage, especially when he fell out of a window earlier this season.
Born Leader
Having a charm and personality to lead as opposed to follow is key when being a hard-nosed gumshoe. You have to make crack decisions and know how to get people on your side using only your wits. Hearing Frank’s motivational speech and how he manages to lead the gang on It’s Always Sunny from time to time should be enough to fill any heart with confidence. It just might be up to you to figure out where that confidence should lead.
Animal Experience
And yeah, he’s even dressed as a beast on the show from time to time. Man-Cheetah is a winner and he should be the only Detective Pikachu out there.
