WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Detective Pikachu, in theaters now.
If Detective Pikachu achieves anything, it's a fantastic sense of world-building. Its primary setting, Ryme City, is a lived-in and relatable haven for humans and Pokemon alike, with a rich history naturally interwoven into the narrative. At times, the film even hints at major events outside of the main plot that could easily become their own stories..
With the ending of Detective Pikachu leaving the door open to any number of follow-ups, let's look at the likeliest candidates for what will undoubtedly lead to a full-blown movie franchise.
Detective Duty
Detective Pikachu ends on a high note for almost every character. The only one who isn't in a better place than where he began the film is Howard Clifford (Bill Nighy), who's arrested for his scheme to fuse the Pokemon and humans of Ryme City into one entity. His son Roger (Chris Geere) takes control of Clifford Enterprises, and promises to make amends for his father's crimes. Junior reporter Lucy (Kathryn Newton) gets a promotion, and Tim Goodman (Justice Smith) reunites with his missing father Harry (Ryan Reynolds), and decides to remain in Ryme City to become a detective.
Even Mewtwo, who many fans believed would be the film's primary threat, turns out to be decidedly more benevolent than previous incarnations. Detective Pikachu ends with Mewtwo free, and presumably returning to the wild. After undoing the damage caused by Howard, Mewtwo even reveals he fused Harry with his Pikachu in an attempt to save Harry's life. Although Detective Pikachu no longer exists as a result, the film ends with Harry, Tim and Pikachu on their way to a new adventure.
Where We Go From Here
To be honest, there's a lot of places for a film franchise to go. Director Rob Letterman suggested in January that Mewtwo would return for a more expanded role in a proposed sequel. In fact, it's been reported there are actually two Pokemon films in development: one has been described as focusing heavily on Mewtwo, meaning it may be the sequel Letterman mentioned; the other is reportedly based on Pokemon: Red & Blue, the original version of Pokemon introduced in the 1990s to Western audiences. Depending on the success of Detective Pikachu and these other films, this could lead to a full-blown Pokemon cinematic universe.
Any proposed sequel would likely center on Tim, Harry and their Pikachu. However, the hook of Ryan Reynolds actually playing the beloved pocket monster will likely be gone, given the resolution of Detective Pikachu. However, their ability to briefly connect with Mewtwo could make them the perfect candidates to head back into the wild in search of the creature. The Red & Blue films could even be tied into the overarching story about Mewtwo by serving as a prequel. In that game, the player character at one point explores the ruins of the lab where Mewtwo was born, otherwise known as the Pokemon Mansion. Mewtwo's origin is even briefly referenced in Detective Pikachu.
On top of that, the film sets up any number of potential avenues for further exploration. Professional Pokemon Battles are teased early in Detective Pikachu, and could provide an exciting tweak on the sports film genre. The film mines the horrifying potential of certain Pokemon, like Gengar, Aipom and (especially) Ditto, proving the franchise can move beyond fantasy, humor and adventure.
There's also the utter lack of the fan-favorite antagonists Team Rocket. The criminal gang uses Pokemon to assist in their misdeeds, and seeing them target Ryme City could easily set up another noir mystery for the heroes to solve, and for Lucy and her Psyduck to investigate. Detective Pikachu established a solid foundation for what could be the next massive cinematic universe, and it does so by creating a world of possibilities. Detective Pikachu producer Ali Mendes says he wants to see all 800 current Pokemon on the big screen. He may get his chance.
Directed by Rob Letterman, Detective Pikachu stars Ryan Reynolds, Justice Smith, Kathryn Newton, Suki Waterhouse, Omar Chaparro, Chris Geere, Ken Watanabe and Bill Nighy.