Pokémon Announces New Movie Starring Ash And Pikachu Replacements

After 6 years without a new film, the Pokémon anime movie franchise is back with the newly revealed Wildcard. Based on the trading card game rather than the video games, Wildcard promises to be a major break from tradition for the franchise. More than just new subject matter, the film is also teasing a pair of new protagonists who almost seem designed from the ground up to be Ash and Pikachu's polar opposites.

Though details are sparse at the moment, the new project was announced simultaneously at the Pokémon World Championships and via Pokémon's official Japanese X account. The film appears to star Mimikyu and, perhaps most interesting of all, a player of the Pokémon Trading Card Game. The X post also does specify that Wildcard will be a full-length animated feature, so fans have every reason to be excited.

Feature-Length Animated Film

"Pokémon: Wildcard"

Worldwide Release Starting 2027

The protagonist of the story is the player.

And, Mimikyu.

The accompanying poster shows that the film will be animated by CloverWorks, directed by Katsuhiko Kitada, and feature character designs from Akemi Hayashi.

In addition to the X post, a teaser was released on YouTube. The teaser trailer depicts the card game as well as a brief look at the protagonist and Mimikyu.

Wildcard Is A Huge Breath Of Fresh Air For Pokémon Fans Across The World

The last Pokémon movie released was 2020's Secrets of the Jungle, the 23rd Pokémon film. Though Secrets of the Jungle did star Ash and Pikachu, it was a different version of the iconic duo than the ones fans were used to in both the mainline Pokémon anime series and in previous movies. Though The Pokémon Company and anime studio OLM had planned to release a new Pokémon movie without Ash, plans for the 24th movie were eventually scrapped.

Given this, there's understandable excitement surrounding Wildcard. Additionally, this is only the second animated Pokémon project based entirely around the card game as opposed to the video games. Despite the intense and enduring popularity of The Pokémon Trading Card Game, the only official animated project to revolve entirely around the card game was the 2024 miniseries Path to the Peak.

This focus on the card game offers a much different view on the world of Pokémon and will no doubt be a treat for long-time fans of the franchise. Most enticing of all, however, is the prospect of two new main characters.

Ash And Pikachu's Replacements Are Here

Instead of Ash and Pikachu, Wildcard will feature an as-of-yet unnamed protagonist and a Mimikyu. Though few concrete details are known about the protagonist and his Mimikyu, the poster revealing them conveys quite a bit of information that suggests these are very different heroes from the kind that Pokémon fans are used to.

First, the protagonist appears much older than Ash, possibly already into his mid to late teens as opposed to Ash's eternally confounding age of 10. Additionally, the protagonist's hoodie and somewhat sullen expression suggest he will be much more withdrawn than Ash, hinting that this protagonist may face social challenges.

Of course, this isn't the first time Pokémon has replaced Ash. The still-airing Pokémon: Horizons anime series features two Ash replacements with Liko and Roy. While Liko and Roy are certainly different than Ash in many ways, they still carry his enthusiasm and love for Pokémon. Given this, it will be interesting to see how the franchise will handle a hero who, by all appearances, is much more sullen.

Regardless, Wildcard appears to be a bold new direction for the franchise. Despite how big the card game is, it's mostly existed in its own little bubble aside from the previously mentioned Path to the Peak and the pair of Game Boy Color games. Pokemon Wildcard could be a huge step forward for the franchise, which makes the wait for its 2027 release all the more exciting.

Release Date 1997 - 2023-00-00

Network TV Tokyo, TV Osaka, TV Aichi, TVh, TVQ, TSC

Directors Shigeru Omachi, Koji Ogawa, Fumihiro Ueno, Hideki Hiroshima, Maki Kodaira, Makoto Ooga, Ayumi Moriyama, Keitaro Motonaga, Shigeru Ueda, Fumihiro Yoshimura, Minoru Ohara, Yoshitaka Makino, Kiyoshi Egami, Makoto Sokuza, Bjarne Heuser, Naoki Murata, Kenichi Nishida, Tomoe Makino, Masahiko Watanabe, Hiroaki Takagi, Tazumi Mukaiyama, Ryohei Horiuchi, Yoshihiro Oda, Hiromichi Matano

Writers Junki Takegami, Atsuhiro Tomioka, Hideki Sonoda, Yukiyoshi Ôhashi, Yuka Miyata, Takeshi Shudo, Shouji Yonemura, Shinzo Fujita, Michihiro Tsuchiya, Deko Akao, Reiko Yoshida, Aya Matsui, Junichi Fujisaku

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  Rica Matsumoto

  Satoshi (voice)

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  Ikue Otani

  Pikachu (voice)