Why the New Street Fighter Movie 2026 May Divide Fans

When I heard that a new Street Fighter movie was going to happen, I was ecstatic. Wow, a live-action movie about my favorite video game characters is finally going to happen! Wait! Van Damme already made one in 1994 with Ming-Na Wen, Kylie Minogue, Damian Chapa, and the late Raul Julia. I enjoyed it, but in the end, it was a bit quirky and incomplete. Although Van Damme looked the part, to me, he may have been the least ideal actor to play the role. First, Guile is supposed to be American and should therefore have an American accent. Although Van Damme did a great job hiding his Belgian accent, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that his accent isn't American. This was corrected by the casting of Cody Rhodes, a WWE superstar whose nickname is literally "The American Nightmare." Everything about Cody Rhodes is American: the spark of sass and the proud demeanor of what it's like to be an American, gleaming with pride and hope.

But that's not even the tip of the iceberg. What's the main problem with Street Fighter?

Fan Expectations and Character Accuracy

Making a movie adaptation of something beloved by millions around the world isn't an easy task. There are going to be a lot of people who already hate it because of the changes that have been made. The beard on Blanka's face, for instance, may go unnoticed by many people, but fans will notice it and view it as inaccurate and preposterous. I'm a big fan of Jason Momoa. He's great, but for him not to shave is comical because Blanka doesn't have a beard in the second world tournament. However, in Street Fighter V, in Story Mode concept art, he is shown as having a short beard. Canonically, Blanka is clean-shaven. This means he can be shown as having a beard only in art, but not in the game.

Guile’s Personality in the Trailer

In the 2026 trailer, Guile comments, "I'm positive a fireball came out of Ryu." This seems out of character for a man who literally releases sonic booms. For a proud man like Guile, he would just shrug it off and not be easily impressed. To him, he's the man.

Chun-Li’s Role in the Story

Chun-Li is played by the beautiful Callina Liang, whose thighs are noticeably not like the video game version. There are Asian women out there with Chun-Li thighs, but perhaps not many of them are actresses who can deliver a good performance to represent her. According to the trailer, it seems to be Chun-Li who pushes the story forward, sort of like a Nick Fury role, recruiting the team.

Callina Liang is relatively new to the Hollywood scene. She made her acting debut in the 2022 teen drama series Tell Me Everything. In 2024, she appeared in the film Bad Genius and later starred in Presence. Looking forward to seeing her version of Chun Li translate in the big screen.

Akuma and Roman Reigns

Roman Reigns, another WWE household name, plays Akuma, one of the most iconic Street Fighter characters, dating back to Super Street Fighter II Turbo after completing a specific sequence on the character select screen. That's a different matter altogether. Personally, Reigns is a good choice. Though Akuma is canonically Japanese, he never really matched the archetype of what a Japanese person looks like. Akuma, despite his karate gi outfit, could look like he comes from practically five different countries. So, the fact that Reigns isn't Japanese doesn't really hurt the representation of the character itself.

Hollywood Changes and Fan Reactions

Whether Hollywood made these changes just for the heck of it or simply wanted to gather a bunch of stars, like The Expendables, to make a so-so cool movie, I don't blame them. That doesn't mean Street Fighter fans are going to like it. Even if they did stick with canonical representations of the characters, there might still be some fans who won't be happy. You can’t please everyone. That’s just part of show business.

Ryu and Ken as the Heart of Street Fighter

It seems as though the movie centers around Ken Masters and/or Ryu, the two most iconic characters of the franchise. Not knowing Ryu and Ken is like racing fans not knowing Jeff Gordon or basketball fans not knowing Michael Jordan. It would simply be impossible.

Ryu, at least according to the trailer, is portrayed as a former shell of himself, giving up on life with no purpose. No, no, no! Let me tell you why. Ryu is the epitome of discipline. He's someone who seeks perfection. He wears his karate gi daily and doesn't shy away from a challenge, as that's all that interests him. While Ryu is the yin, cold and still, Ken is the yang, hot and intense. Ryu is content to seek perfection and stillness, moving like water and wandering the world, while Ken represents heat, discord, and hardness. Ken is canonically flashy, confident, and charismatic. Everything he does is for his family, and he does so in a very loud way. For him to be portrayed as a drunk is eye-popping to any Street Fighter fan. Although later adaptations of the game, especially Street Fighter 6, gave him a darker storyline, overall, it's not as extreme as they are trying to portray him. Among the many misrepresentations in the movie, they should never have changed Ryu and Ken's character archetypes to this extreme.

In the end, if Hollywood wants this movie to succeed, it needs to remember that there will be millions who have already made their conclusions. The movie can't simply just be about flashy action. It needs to pull fans into the seats and have them saying, "That's Ryu and Ken." An adaptation doesn't have to be perfect, but it can't pull the heart out to a level that's going to make fans utter, "Was that Street Fighter?"

Key Takeaways

• Adapting Street Fighter is difficult because longtime fans expect the characters to stay close to their original designs, personalities, and canon.

• The casting of Cody Rhodes as Guile is a stronger fit than Jean-Claude Van Damme because Rhodes better matches Guile’s American identity and attitude.

• Visual and character changes, such as Blanka having a beard, may seem minor to casual viewers but can feel inaccurate to dedicated fans.

• The trailer’s portrayal of Guile as surprised by Ryu’s fireball is criticized as inconsistent with Guile’s own confidence and combat abilities.

• Chun-Li is presented as a possible story-driving character, the one recruiting fighters for the tournament.

• Roman Reigns as Akuma is considered a reasonable casting choice because Akuma’s look and presence are not limited to one specific real-world appearance.

• The biggest concern is the apparent change to Ryu and Ken’s core personalities, especially portraying Ryu as defeated and Ken as unusually troubled.

• Star power and modern creative choices may not satisfy fans if the movie strays too far from the characters’ established identities.