'Pokémon' fans petition for Danny DeVito to voice Pikachu

REDMOND, Wash., Feb. 2 (UPI) -- The internet has spoken, and they want Danny DeVito to voice Pokémon leading mascot, Pikachu.

In a petition posted to change.org recently, 40,000 have shown their support for getting the actor cast as the English voice of Pikachu in Nintendo's upcoming 3DS game, Detective Pikachu.

Assigned to be sent to Nintendo of America and the game's developer Game Freak, the petition states, "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. We want to make this happen."

As far as reasons go for the demand, one top comment explains, "Why would I not want this?" Support for the It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia star gained steam Friday after a fan-made video by YouTube user Teahollow1 popped up online featuring DeVito's voice and likeness being played over the game's original teaser trailer.

With a goal of 50,000 signatures, the movement needs 10,000 more before it can be formally submitted to Nintendo of America for consideration.

Revealed in January, Detective Pikachu was announced as part of Nintendo's "Year of Pokémon" event in celebration of the franchise's 20th anniversary. The game, which features a talking Pikachu solving cases with a human companion, is set to be released in Japan on Feb. 3, with no U.S release date announced.