The New Street Fighter Movie: An Electrifying Cast Signals Hollywood’s Most Ambitious Video Game Adaptation Yet

The roar from The Game Awards stage two nights ago wasn’t just excitement—it was validation. When the full Street Fighter movie cast assembled under the lights, introducing the first trailer for Legendary Entertainment’s 2026 adaptation, it became immediately clear that this isn’t just another video game film. This is a calculated gamble to finally give Street Fighter the cinematic treatment it deserves.

For nearly four decades, Street Fighter has defined what fighting games could be. Since Capcom launched the original arcade cabinet in 1987, the franchise has spawned countless sequels, inspired an entire genre, and created cultural icons in Ryu, Chun-Li, and the scene-chewing M. Bison. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: Street Fighter’s journey to cinema has been less “Hadouken” and more “whiff.”

This new adaptation arrives at a pivotal moment. Video game movies are no longer the industry’s punchline. They’re now legitimate box office contenders, prestige projects attracting A-list talent. The question isn’t whether Hollywood can make a good Street Fighter film—it’s whether this particular ensemble, led by director Kitao Sakurai, can break a curse that’s persisted for 30 years.

A Franchise with a Complicated Film History

Let’s address the elephant in the dojo: previous Street Fighter films haven’t exactly been knockout successes.

The 1994 live-action film starring Jean-Claude Van Damme remains a curious artefact of 90s excess. Campy, tonally confused, and only tangentially connected to the source material, it turned Street Fighter into a Saturday morning cartoon without the self-awareness to pull it off. Van Damme as Guile? Raúl Juliá’s gloriously hammy final performance as M. Bison? These choices were bold but ultimately disconnected from what made the games compelling.

Then came 2009’s Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li, which somehow managed to be worse. Forgettable performances, a nonsensical plot, and action choreography that would embarrass a direct-to-DVD thriller—it was critically panned and commercially invisible.

The Japanese-produced Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie (1994) fared better with fans, capturing the kinetic energy and visual style of the games. But it remained an anime, beloved within its niche yet unable to break into mainstream Western cinema consciousness.

What audiences expect now is radically different from the mid-90s. We want martial arts authenticity, character depth, and respect for lore that doesn’t sacrifice cinematic storytelling. The bar has been raised by the Mortal Kombat reboot, The Last of Us series, and Sonic’s unexpected charm. Street Fighter enters a marketplace where video game adaptations are finally being taken seriously.

The New Street Fighter Cast: A Bold Reboot

When Legendary Entertainment acquired the Street Fighter rights in 2023, they signalled ambition. Hiring Kitao Sakurai—the director behind Bad Trip and key creative force on The Eric Andre Show—suggested a willingness to take risks. Now, with the full cast revealed, that ambition has crystallised into something genuinely intriguing.

This isn’t a roster built on conventional Hollywood logic. It’s eclectic, unpredictable, and gloriously chaotic in all the right ways. Professional wrestlers stand alongside martial artists, comedians alongside action heroes, and the entire ensemble feels less like a calculated marketing exercise and more like a genuine attempt to capture Street Fighter’s global, genre-blending spirit.

Andrew Koji leads as Ryu, with Noah Centineo as Ken Masters. Callina Liang steps into Chun-Li’s iconic role. Jason Momoa takes on Blanka. WWE superstars Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes portray Akuma and Guile, respectively. David Dastmalchian embodies M. Bison. 50 Cent plays Balrog. Country music enigma Orville Peck becomes Vega. The list continues with Vidyut Jammwal as Dhalsim, Hirooki Goto as E. Honda, and comedian Andrew Schulz as Dan Hibiki.

It’s chaotic. It’s unconventional. It might be brilliant.

Character-by-Character Breakdown: Matching Talent to Iconography

Ryu – Andrew Koji: This is inspired casting. Koji proved his martial arts credibility in Bullet Train and Warrior, bringing both technical skill and emotional depth. Ryu isn’t just about throwing fireballs—he’s a wandering warrior seeking perfection. Koji has the quiet intensity to make Ryu’s spiritual journey compelling rather than corny.

Ken Masters – Noah Centineo: Here’s where eyebrows raise. Centineo built his career on romantic comedies before pivoting to action in Black Adam. Ken requires swagger, charisma, and just enough arrogance to differentiate him from Ryu’s stoicism. Whether Centineo can channel the blonde playboy energy whilst handling fight choreography remains the film’s biggest question mark.

Chun-Li – Callina Liang: Relatively unknown to Western audiences but possessing genuine martial arts training, Liang represents a commitment to authenticity. Chun-Li deserves an actress who can sell the lightning kicks and embody an Interpol officer seeking justice for her father’s murder. Early footage suggests Liang brings both grace and ferocity.

M. Bison – David Dastmalchian: This might be the film’s secret weapon. Dastmalchian has built a career playing unsettling, eccentric characters. M. Bison needs theatrical villainy without descending into pantomime. Dastmalchian can make megalomania feel genuinely threatening whilst understanding when to lean into the inherent absurdity of a character who once declared, “For you, the day Bison graced your village was the most important day of your life. But for me, it was Tuesday.”

Blanka – Jason Momoa: Inspired lunacy. Momoa bringing physicality and unexpected comedy to the savage, electricity-wielding beast-man could be magnificent. It’s clearly a supporting role, but Momoa has proven he can disappear into outlandish characters whilst maintaining emotional resonance.

Akuma – Roman Reigns: WWE’s Tribal Chief portraying Street Fighter’s ultimate demon fighter? The physicality is there, the screen presence undeniable. Akuma requires an actor who can convey raw, apocalyptic power. If Reigns channels even a fraction of his wrestling persona’s intensity, he’ll be terrifying.

Guile – Cody Rhodes: Another WWE star, Rhodes brings all-American credibility and legitimate toughness. Guile is military through-and-through—a soldier seeking vengeance. Rhodes has the jaw, the build, and the earnestness to make it work.

Why Video Game Movies Are Finally Getting It Right

The Street Fighter reboot arrives during video game cinema’s renaissance, and the timing couldn’t be better.

For years, video game adaptations were Hollywood’s poison chalice. Directors treated source material with contempt, studios prioritised merchandise over narrative coherence, and fans were left wondering why their beloved games were being butchered by people who’d clearly never played them.

Then something shifted. The Last of Us demonstrated that prestige television could handle game narratives with respect. Sonic proved that listening to fan feedback could turn potential disasters into genuine crowd-pleasers. The Super Mario Bros. Movie became a billion-dollar phenomenon by embracing rather than abandoning its gaming DNA. Even Mortal Kombat’s 2021 reboot, whilst flawed, showed that R-rated violence and tournament structures could work cinematically.

Studios have finally learned the lessons of past failures: hire people who actually care about the source material, invest in production design that captures the games’ visual identity, and understand that adaptation doesn’t mean betrayal.

Street Fighter benefits from this shift. Legendary Entertainment isn’t treating it as a quick cash grab. They’ve hired a director known for creative risk-taking, assembled a cast that signals ambition over safe choices, and from all indications, they’re crafting something that respects the franchise whilst acknowledging cinematic requirements.

What Fans Want vs What Hollywood Needs

This tension defines every video game adaptation. Fans want faithfulness—they want to see Ryu’s headband flutter as he charges a Hadouken, to hear Guile’s theme, to witness Chun-Li’s Spinning Bird Kick executed with balletic precision. They want inside jokes, Easter eggs, and storylines pulled directly from game lore.

Hollywood needs broader appeal. Not everyone has spent hundreds of hours perfecting combos in Street Fighter V. The film must work for the uninitiated whilst rewarding the devoted.

Early signs suggest the filmmakers understand this balance. Setting the film in 1993—the peak of Street Fighter II’s cultural dominance—is smart. It evokes nostalgia without being enslaved to it. The World Warrior Tournament structure provides narrative framework whilst honouring the games’ core concept.

Martial arts authenticity will be crucial. Andrew Koji and Vidyut Jammwal bring genuine fighting credibility. Hirooki Goto’s professional wrestling background means he understands physicality and performance. The WWE contingent knows how to sell combat spectacle. If the fight choreography matches this talent, Street Fighter could deliver the genre’s best hand-to-hand combat sequences.

Character development matters more than game fans might initially admit. We need to care about these fighters beyond their special moves. Ryu and Ken’s estrangement provides emotional stakes. Chun-Li’s quest for justice gives the narrative moral weight. M. Bison’s conspiracy offers villainous intrigue.

What This Street Fighter Movie Needs to Succeed

Direction: Kitao Sakurai’s background in comedy and controlled chaos could be Street Fighter’s greatest asset or its Achilles heel. The franchise has always teetered between earnest martial arts drama and gleeful absurdity. Sakurai must navigate that tightrope—letting Jason Momoa’s Blanka be entertainingly bonkers whilst ensuring David Dastmalchian’s M. Bison remains genuinely menacing.

Fight Choreography: This is non-negotiable. Street Fighter lives and dies on its combat. The film needs a fight coordinator who understands both realistic martial arts and the games’ stylised brutality. Every major character should get at least one sequence that makes audiences want to replay their favourite matches.

Character Development: Tournament films can feel episodic—a series of fights strung together with minimal connective tissue. Street Fighter must make us invest in these warriors’ journeys. Why is Ryu seeking perfection? What drives Ken’s competitive fire? How does Chun-Li balance justice with vengeance?

Respect for Source Material: This doesn’t mean slavish recreation. It means understanding what makes Street Fighter resonate. The international cast of fighters, each representing different martial arts traditions and cultural backgrounds. The mythology of Ansatsuken and the Satsui no Hado. The tragic backstories and personal codes that elevate these characters beyond mere avatars.

Visual Identity: Street Fighter’s aesthetics are distinctive—vibrant, kinetic, larger-than-life. The film must capture that energy without looking like a garish cartoon. The brief trailer glimpses suggest a grounded-but-heightened visual approach that could work beautifully.

Final Thoughts: Can Street Fighter Break the Curse?

Walking out of The Game Awards, watching this unlikely ensemble promise they’d honour the franchise, I felt something I haven’t felt about a Street Fighter film in three decades: genuine hope.

This cast is risky, unconventional, and absolutely loaded with potential. Andrew Koji can anchor the emotional journey. David Dastmalchian can deliver a villain worthy of M. Bison’s legacy. Jason Momoa can provide levity without undermining stakes. The wrestling contingent brings physicality and charisma. The martial artists ensure combat credibility.

Will it work? October 2026 will tell us definitively. But for now, Street Fighter has something previous adaptations lacked: a creative team willing to take the franchise seriously whilst embracing its inherent madness, a cast diverse enough to honour the games’ global appeal, and a Hollywood landscape finally ready to give video game films the respect they deserve.

The World Warrior Tournament is set. The fighters are assembled. And for the first time in Street Fighter’s cinematic history, there’s genuine reason to believe they might actually pull this off.

Round one. Fight.