While the first Street Fighter trailer was rife with video game references, it looks like the upcoming 2026 movie will branch out in other ways. Jason Momoa's Blanka gets an introduction in the latest clip for the fighting movie, and I can't help but think this version is a lot different from what we've seen in the games.
Fortunately, the change isn't physical. He still has green skin, wild orange hair, and a natural electrical current that allows him to shock his enemies. I can't help but notice, however, that he's a bit edgier than what I've experienced in previous Street Fighter games, and scarier as well. Check out the clip below and read on!
This Blanka Is A Lot Scarier Than The One In Street Fighter Games
This clip from Street Fighter leans into the fact that Blanka looks like some ferocious beast, or like Shrek had a baby with the Wolf Man. As scary as he looks, Blanka is usually presented in Street Fighter games as one of its goofier characters, and outside of battle, can be quite kind and gentle.
This movie version has a different vibe, and I'm basing that on the fact that he both hanged and electrocuted a random prisoner before entering the arena. That's brutal, but par for the course based on what we've seen so far, but it feels a little off-character for Blanka. It also seems possible he's working for M. Bison, though the fact he's in prison may suggest he's being held under his control. Speaking of which, David Dastmalchian's Bison voice is perfect, and he seems to be the perfect person to play that character.
Will Jason Momoa's Character Embrace The Lighter Side Of Blanka?
Many upcoming video game adaptations are embracing accuracy to the franchises they're bringing to the big screen, so I have to wonder if this clip with Blanka is intentionally deceiving. I do feel as though Jason Momoa's brief lines of dialogue in the clip are pretty silly, after all.
Given this, perhaps we'll see a middle ground between Blanka being ultra-violent but also shockingly pleasant. I can't say I'd mind that, and it's not like Blanka's portrayal is a dealbreaker for me in whether I see this movie.
Street Fighter is meant to be silly, and thus far, there are plenty of other moments from the trailers that suggest this movie will feature a lot of laughs on top of the nonstop action. Even if the movie drastically changes Blanka's personality from the games, that'll be a forgivable transgression I can overlook. After all, it'd take a lot for this movie to be worse than the original Street Fighter movie.
Look out for Street Fighter in theaters on October 16th. Here's hoping the movie is as good as everything we've seen thus far, and Hollywood's streak of solid video game adaptations continues.
