4 Reasons Why The Recent Casting For The New Street Fighter Movie Makes Me Think That They're Finally Going To Get It Right This Time Around

To quote the band Queen: “Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?” I only ask because not only am I extremely optimistic for the next Mortal Kombat movie, but after seeing the recent casting for Legendary's upcoming Street Fighter film, I’m also extremely enthusiastic for that movie as well!

And like, how did this happen? I mean, yes, I do have a soft spot for the ‘90s Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat movies, but I’m also perfectly okay with calling them “bad” (I mean, so-bad-they’re good, sure, but still “bad”). So, to think that I might get a really good Mortal Kombat movie, AND a really good Street Fighter movie in the not-too-distant future? Well, like I said before, it just doesn’t seem real.

But, while Mortal Kombat 2 has already screened (and apparently knocked it out of the park), we only really have some of the cast confirmed for this upcoming Street Fighter film. Be that as it may, I still have extremely high hopes, and I think that this might finally be the time when they get it right when it comes to a Street Fighter movie. Here’s why.

First Off, They Are Putting Dan Hibiki In This Movie, Which Means They're Going For The Deep Cuts

Look, when I initially heard that Ryu (Andrew Koji), Ken (Noah Centineo), Chun-Li (Callina Liang), Blanka (Jason Momoa), Vega (Orville Peck), Balrog (50 Cent), and Akuma (Roman Reigns) were all going to be in this film, I thought, okay, that’s cool. I mean, it all points to the movie featuring several of the series mainstays, and it gives it a Street Fighter II vibe, which makes sense since that’s the most popular game in the long-running series.

However, when news dropped that the comedian, Andrew Schulz, would be portraying the pink gi-wearing Dan Hibiki, my interest level did a Shoryuken! Because even though we have a lot of legendary (pun not intended) characters from the franchise already included, the fact that Dan has already been cast when we still don’t have anybody playing M. Bison, Zangief, or Sagat yet just tells me that the tone for this movie is going to be very interesting.

It also tells me that the movie is going to be pulling from multiple periods of the franchise, which is something that I really wanted to see with this movie. You see, Dan first debuted in the Alpha series (which makes it even clearer to me that Sagat will probably be in this film, given Dan’s history with the character).

But, I love that Dan is going to be in this movie. While he isn’t quite the “deepest cut,” as most fans of the series are familiar with the joke character, the fact that they’re putting him in the film (and that they got such a talented comedian to play him), really makes me feel like any character is fair game now.

Like, could we possibly get more lesser-known characters (to the general public, anyway), like Sean, Makoto, or Juri? Hell, could we get Final Fight characters like Guy, Cody, or Poison? Honestly, I never would have thought it possible before, but now that Dan has been cast in this film, the sky really is the limit.

Not All Of The Actors Are Super Megastars (Yet), Which I Hope Means They're Looking To Cast Who They Think Is Best For The Roles

Here’s another reason why I’m super hopeful for this movie now. So far, the biggest star is Jason Momoa, and he’s going to be playing Blanka of all characters. Blanka! (Though, I don’t know why I'm so surprised given that he’s also going to be playing Lobo).

Aside from him, the second most notable person in this film is the wrestler, Roman Reigns, who will be playing Akuma (which I’ll speak about soon). That said, the rest of the cast (so far, anyway) consists of up-and-comers like Noah Centineo and actors who've yet to reach the fame as some of the other mentioned cast members. But, that just makes me even more confident in this film.

Because I highly doubt that Akuma is going to be the main character in this movie. He might be the main villain, sure, but I’m almost positive that he won’t be the protagonist. That will likely be either Ryu or Chun-Li, who are being played by Andrew Koji and Callina Liang, respectively.

Koji is probably most known for his role as Ah Sahm from the Cinemax series, Warrior. If not there, then probably as Storm Shadow from the G.I. Joe movie, Snake Eyes. He honestly would be an awesome Ryu, and I’m happy that somebody like him was picked for the role rather than some mega celebrity.

Callina Liang is another interesting choice. So far, the Steven Soderbergh movie, Presence, might be the first time people have seen her. Either that, or as the lead role in Bad Genius, both of which came out in 2024. That said, the fact that she was chosen just makes me think that the powers that be feel she is the best choice to play Chun-Li, and if that's the case, I’m overjoyed that they could be looking to cast people who fit the parts, rather than just going for the big names. Be that as it may…

Akuma Was One Of The First Confirmed Characters For This Movie, Which May Mean He'll Play An Important Role In The Story

I’m going to be honest with you. When I first heard that Roman Reigns was going to be playing Akuma, I kind of cringed.

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not the biggest fan of Reigns as a wrestler, and I really had a hard time trying to envision him as the great demon. That said, what I did like was that Akuma was one of the first characters cast in the film, which tells me that he must be an important character in the story.

And, do you know how happy this made me? So far, we have gotten two live-action Street Fighter movies, and they both feature M. Bison as the main antagonist. I mean, this movie could, too (Shadaloo likely plays a part given that we already have Vega and Balrog in the cast), but the fact that Akuma was cast so early (and with Roman Reigns, no less!) leads me to believe that he's going to play a pivotal role in the story.

For those who don't know, Akuma has a history with Ryu and Ken, and he's constantly trying to get Ryu to embrace his evil side (known as the Satsui no Hado in the story), which creates a wonderful inner conflict for the series protagonist.

Could this be the direction that the movie is heading in? I don't know, but with Akuma in the story, it's certainly possible!

Lastly, There Are Already Two Live-Action Street Fighter Movies, So They Should Know By Now What NOT To Do

I once wrote an article on the best video game movies. And, do you know what movies DIDN'T make the list? That's right! Neither 1994's Street Fighter starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, nor the absolutely abysmal Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li.

And look, even at the time of both of their releases, I wasn't expecting either of them to be the best video game movies of all time like I'm expecting with this upcoming Elden Ring film. No. All I merely wanted out of either of them was a DECENT representation of one of my favorite video game series. And, while I've grown to like the 1994 film over the years, The Legend of Chun-Li is inexcusably bad, and there is literally nothing to like about it.

So, if I have one final reason why I'm looking forward to this movie, it's that there are already two arguably bad Street Fighter movies, so they should now know what not to do.

I think we're already seeing that they've learned their lesson by the fact that they're focusing on key characters first (Ryu, Ken, Chun, and Akuma), and aren't making Guile the main character like in the ‘94 movie, or making this some weird origin story that doesn't even include most of the series’ mainstays (but somehow features Nash, a.k.a. Charlie).

It's for all these reasons and more that I think they're finally going to get this Street Fighter movie right, whereas in the past they've failed miserably.

But, what do you think? Do you also believe that this is finally going to be the time for there to be a good Street Fighter movie? I'd love to hear your thoughts, fellow World Warriors!