Pokémon is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, and Nintendo is pulling out all the stops to make it the franchise's biggest year yet. From special events to re-releases of older games like Pokémon Red and Blue, it's a great time to be a Pokémon fan.
It's also a strange time. As part of the franchise's 20th birthday, Nintendo recently unveiled a new downloadable game called Great Detective Pikachu that will be releasing in Japan next month. The bizarre title features Pikahcu wearing a deerstalker cap, solving crimes and speaking actual words, as opposed to simply saying "Pika!" at different pitches and speeds.
There's no word yet on whether or not the game will come stateside, but that isn't stopping the Internet from having already decided who should provide the North American voice for the well-loved Pokémon: Danny DiVito.
Yes, that Danny DiVito, the well-known actor and director famous for his roles in Taxi and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. A Change.org petition with 18,000 signatures and counting is politely asking Nintendo of America to consider the iconic actor for the role when it comes to North America (if it comes to North America.)
"There are a number of us that feel as though Danny DeVito would be a prime fit for the voice-acting role of the Detective Pikachu," petition creator Sairith Aramor writes. "We want to make this happen."
So far the top comment for the petition comes from Corey McClain of Murray, Ky., who writes:
His voice: iconic.
His range as an actor: wide.
His wit: sharp.
His career: successful.
His comedic timing: perfect.
His celebrity status: beloved.
Now is the time to make Detective Pikachu truly electric.
I choose you, DeVitochu!
And that's really all you need to know. You can sign the petition here. No word yet from Nintendo on how it feels about all of this, but we'll keep you posted.
