In the competition for who can come up with the wildest movie theater popcorn buckets, AMC Theaters has pulled ahead with its exclusive Street Fighter bucket made to resemble Guile’s hair. From NSFW sandworms to Tom Cruise’s Digger boot and even a disgusting organ transplant bag for Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil, theater souvenirs are clearly big business and everyone is trying to one-up each other in the creativity game. My own personal favorite has been the bucket that recreates Rocky Balboa’s triumphant moment at the top of the steps for the Rocky 50th anniversary.
Most collectible buckets are an object that represents the movie in some way. The following bucket is the first I remember seeing that represents the top of someone’s head that you can wear on your head. Ahead of Street Fighter's release on the 2026 movie schedule, Cody Rhodes, whose character provides the hair-raising inspiration, has some words of warning pertaining to the use of the Guile popcorn bucket. If you pick one up, the actor would just like you to be calm and respectful. Here’s what he had to say about it in a video from Discussing Film's Twitter:
What’s funny is I don’t want it to cause any fights. Even though the movie is Street Fighter, let’s be careful when we reach into the back of people’s heads.
I’ve certainly got to hand it to the marketing department for coming up with such a funny concept. Before this whole popcorn bucket craze started, I never could have imagined how far the movie studios could push the levels of popcorn receptacles. But here we are, grabbing our favorite movie snack out of the top of someone’s head.
I’m not sure how any of this will actually work in theaters. Do you have to see the movie with someone so that you can put your popcorn bucket on their head, or are you supposed to wear it yourself and stretch your arm up when you’re ready to grab some kernels? How will the movie-goers sitting behind you feel about all of that? I’m starting to understand Cody Rhodes’ warning about not wanting to cause a fight in the theater. The WWE wrestling champion went on to say:
It’s such a funny concept. I can’t remember a wearable popcorn bucket. And Blair [Rich] at Legendary marketing, it’s all her baby, and also, Guile in the Wild is all her baby. I am so excited to see [the bucket] in theaters, and Regal has, also, the bust. The Guile of this is overwhelming to the point where…. My mom doesn't really care about anything I do — she loves me — but the Guile popcorn bucket? She said ‘I gotta get a bucket! I gotta get a bucket!’ I’m like, ‘Alright, we’re winning.’
I love that even Rhodes’ mom is on board with this memorable popcorn bucket headwear. I mean, you know you’re winning when you can win over your mom. It’s also just a really fun bit of memorabilia to have if you’re a fan of Street Fighter. Plus, it all seems like it could provide endless laughs to see a bunch of people wearing them in the theater.
For the unfamiliar, in the Street Fighter world, Guile is a character known for his military background and stand-out fighting style, and this upcoming video game adaptation showcases those signature moves. You can commemorate it all with this iconic bucket that’s honestly a great bit of fun that leans into the movie’s tone.
