One producer barred Leonardo DiCaprio from playing Ash Ketchum in Pokémon.
How Leonardo DiCaprio Almost Played Ash Ketchum In Pokémon ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

Titanic is widely regarded as a watershed moment in Leonardo DiCaprio’s career. The success of the 1997 classic provided DiCaprio with another once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, a shot at playing Pokémon character Ash Ketchum. The franchise, which had already crossed lifetime earnings of over $150 billion by then, needed a celebrity boost in its movies.

Titanic had already turned DiCaprio into the face everyone couldn’t get enough of, and the studios in Hollywood were desperately trying to sign him up for upcoming projects. However, DiCaprio’s stint as a Pokémon trainer never actually materialized.

The Push To Bring Leonardo DiCaprio Into The English Dub

After Pokémon: The First Movie dominated Japanese cinemas in the summer of 1998, plans were made for an English-language release. The American release would not arrive until November 1999. This provided an opportunity for something unexpected.

A studio representative was convinced that the film could ride the wave of DiCaprio’s global fame following Titanic and pushed hard for his casting as Ash Ketchum. He promised to generate a buzz, attracting the attention of fans and a long list of celebrities. He believed that Leonardo DiCaprio as Ash Ketchum would be a massive win for the franchise.

The Meeting Where Producer Norman Grossfeld Said No

Despite the enthusiasm around DiCaprio, producer Norman Grossfeld did not share the excitement after he heard the pitch. Writer Alex Pappademas described the moment on The Big Hit Show podcast (via CBR), explaining how Norman said no in the very meeting after DiCaprio’s name came to the forefront. Whether DiCaprio would have accepted the role remains unknown, but the prospect never had the chance to materialize. Grossfeld believed kids were attached to Ash’s familiar voice, and he felt replacing it would unsettle them.

Why Norman Believed Ash’s Voice Needed Stability

American audiences were accustomed to Ash sounding like Veronica Taylor. She had been the voice of the character in the English dub for a year. Taylor had no idea that a Titanic-era DiCaprio almost bagged the role.

According to Vulture, she struggled to believe the story after she heard about it. Taylor later said that she was better suited to continue with the role since she already understood the character and had lived with him episode after episode.

Her point made sense, yet the whole thing still feels like one of the strangest missed chances in franchise history. Pokémon never needed DiCaprio to succeed, but it is still surprising that the producer never even entertained the thought of testing the waters. The brand was strong enough to survive without him, and we don’t know if DiCaprio would have said yes after all.

A Missed Hollywood What-If Nearly 30 Years Later

Now, nearly three decades later, the missed moment still intrigues fans. The Academy Award-winning actor has still not voiced a character in an animated feature. The closest he came was playing Jack Frost in Rise of the Guardians, before he dropped out and Chris Pine stepped in.

Pokémon, in the meantime, moved forward as Veronica Taylor kept Ash’s voice alive for years.

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