Fallout took an interesting approach regarding how it tied into the larger fictional universe, but it’s not a move that’s entirely original.

Amazon’s Fallout received a lot of praise for a specific aspect of its adaptation process, but the show is simply reaching the bar set by a 2019 Ryan Reynolds movie. The Fallout cast led an impressive first season on Prime Video that both honors the original games and introduces new elements. The world of Fallout was already vast before the game series was adapted for television, but the show expanded it even further. Fallout‘s approach was well-suited to what the project was trying to achieve, but one of Ryan Reynolds’ biggest projects beat Fallout to the punch a half-decade earlier.

Reynold’s movie career is a combination of being involved with enormous franchises and slightly more niche projects. While the actor’s filmography is varied, there are certain roles and films of his that stand out for various reasons. In 2019, he made an unexpected appearance in a live-action installment in a very popular fictional universe that tied into the heart of the relevant franchise in a very exciting way. While Fallout is vastly different from this Reynolds movie, they do share one notable similarity.

Detective Pikachu & Fallout Are Both Canon To The Biggest Parts Of Their Respective Franchises

Detective Pikachu & Fallout both expand their respective continuities

What’s fascinating about the Fallout show is that it’s set within the same continuity as the games. Although the characters and most of the settings from Amazon’s live-action adaptation separate themselves from all the Fallout games, they are part of the same canonical tapestry. Similarly, 2019’s Detective Pikachu isn’t just the first live-action Pokémon project, it’s also set within the same timeline as the anime. It’s not common for a live-action addition to a franchise to take this approach, but the teams behind the Fallout show and Detective Pikachu each clearly thought it was the best move.

Detective Pikachu co-writer, Dan Hernandez, confirmed in an interview with ComicBook that the movie is, “The same universe as all the other Pokémon stuff.” So, even though the dynamic between Pokémon and humans isn’t the same as in the anime, the Reynolds movie simply displays a different area of the fictional world that approaches things differently. The opposite is true for Fallout, as the show obeys the same logic as the video games. For example, the consumables and medicine in the Fallout show work exactly the same way as in the games – even when they bend real-world rules.

Both Detective Pikachu & The Fallout TV Show Are Easily Accessible For New Fans

Neither project is restricted to Pokémon or Fallout fans

Even though the respective live-action debuts for Fallout and Pokémon build upon pre-existing canon that has its origin in another medium, each project serves as the perfect jumping-on point for new fans. In other words, Fallout viewers don’t need to have played the games in order to follow the plot, nor do Detective Pikachu audience members need to have seen the anime. Of course, for those who are well-versed in the original source material, the experience is slightly more rewarding. However, it’s not a necessity.

Keeping seasoned fans happy while also bringing in a new audience is a difficult line to tread, but both Fallout and Detective Pikachu find the perfect balance between expansion and originality.

Keeping seasoned fans happy while also bringing in a new audience is a difficult line to tread, but both Fallout and Detective Pikachu find the perfect balance between expansion and originality. If newcomers enjoy either live-action adaptation, then there is plenty of other media from the same universe for them to engage with. However, even if the fresh faces only want to interact with the live-action portion of the canon, that can still be a very fulfilling experience.

More Live-Action Adaptations Should Follow The Example Of Detective Pikachu & Amazon’s Fallout Show

Fallout continues a live-action adaptation trend that needs to continue

It can be risky connecting a live-action adaptation to the story from another medium, but Fallout and Detective Pikachu don’t just prove that it can work, but that it can be very effective. Of course, there’s always the risk that newer audiences could feel alienated if there are too many niche references to the source material, so it’s all about finding the right balance. For instance, the Fallout video game Easter eggs in the TV show are only really noticeable to those who have played the games, but the plot still makes perfect sense to those who haven’t.

The decision to connect existing canon to a live-action adaptation also arguably has to be done on a case-by-case basis. For instance, The Last of Us TV show worked perfectly as a traditional adaptation, as the story from the game was so strong that it wouldn’t have made sense to focus on something else. However, properties like Pokémon and Fallout have vast maps that can be explored while leaving certain stories undisturbed. So, even though Ryan Reynolds‘ 2016 Pokémon movie got there first, Fallout‘s decision regarding its canon suited the project just as well.