9 Characters The Street Fighter 2026 Movie May Fail To Adapt

While Street Fighter fans may not be as rabid as they were in the 90s, fans of the franchise (myself included) have high hopes and fears about the upcoming film adaptation. Hollywood tried to adapt Street Fighter. In fact, they have gone twice. At no time was there anything but unmitigated failure.

Although the story of the Street Fighter games is usually very simple, the characters themselves are the most popular of the franchise, at least for me. Everyone has their favorites, and characters they consider the best, or the most unique. While some fan favorites may not appear in the new film, many of the most popular are set to make it to live action, and fans will have their fears about the new adaptation.

9

Dan Hibiki

Will the Comedy Translate to the Screen?

Funny installation of famous characters from the Street Fighter movie by Dan Hibiki. Not every fighter can be a true champion, and Hibiki is the perfect character in Street Fighter history to include him. He is known as an overconfident person, who has no ability to add characters. He also has his own history of thinking (wrongly) that he defeated the man who killed his father before opening a martial arts school based on his style.

Andrew Schulz, a great comedian, was cast to bring Hibiki to life on the big screen. Although it will only be a comic role, the biggest risk for fans like me in this character is that the bit may not sit well. Schulz in the role is a promising comic, but Hollywood has failed to translate so many things from video games in the past that there’s no guarantee of this one.

8

Blanka

Jason Momoa’s Safe Hands

One of the characters fans have their fears about, but don’t feel right about how safe they are, is Blanka, the green monster. This Brazilian actor is played by Jason Momoa, a beloved actor and one of the most prominent names added to the cast of this Street Fighter movie. The biggest possible fear for this character is that Jason Momoa isn’t Brazilian, but many, if not all, are behind the casting regardless.

Momoa has a history, and a bright future, in playing crazy, evil characters. Her performance as Lobo in this summer’s Supergirl movie is proof of that. However, Blanka is a Brazilian character. He was once voted the third most famous Brazilian in the world despite being a legend! This is where the fear surrounding this pitch lies.

7

It didn’t stop

WWE Meets Hollywood

Roman Reigns is the definition of aura as a WWE star. In theory, or fan casting, he’s a good choice for Akuma. However, in Hollywood terms, he doesn’t have much experience, and rumors suggest that he could be the main villain in a Street Fighter movie. Fans are worried about this, because Reigns has the fearsome qualities needed for such a role, but does he really have the acting chops to follow?

When it comes to Hollywood casting, fans have to take a back seat and pay attention to our fears in silence while we wait for the movie to actually be released. After watching Reigns grow into his role as a top star in WWE for a decade now, I’m sure he can pull off this character, but there is some fear among fans.

6

Chun-Li

Looks Good So Far

Perhaps the most beloved character in the Street Fighter franchise, Chun-Li is what many fans have been clamoring for in the new Street Fighter movie. Whether young Callina Liang can pull off the role remains to be seen, as she doesn’t have much acting experience, or any kind of acting experience to be honest.

Having appeared in two films and a full TV series so far, this is a make-or-break moment for Liang’s career in Hollywood. The trailer showed a lot of Chun-Li, fighting for the tournament, arguing with Cammy, and in the action itself, so fingers are crossed that this will be a huge success for a character with popularity that lasts for decades, and a new Hollywood star in Liang.

5

The Dhalim

The Insidious Ability to Adapt

If the history of the Fantastic Four films has failed to prove anything, it’s how hard it is to make cool stretching powers in live action. Dhalsim is a Street Fighter character with the apparent ability to extend his limbs when fighting. He is also a mysterious yogi who joins sports competitions to raise money for his poor village, making him a moral choice for fans. My personal favorite, his appearance in the Street Fighter movie trailer was fun and somewhat touching.

Dhalsim will be difficult to adapt. His origin in stereotypes aside, his power set is very difficult to make cool in live fight scenes. Whether elastic skills will be ignored, played for laughs, or taken too seriously remains to be seen. But for sure, bringing this character on board, played by Indian actor and martial artist Vidyut Jammwal, will be an exciting and scary time for fans like me.

4

Cammy

Will Justice Be Done?

The history of video games is littered with female characters who have largely existed as sex symbols. However, Cammy is a character who, despite starting out that way, has evolved past that origin to become a full-fledged character in her own right. With Killer Bee, her dark origins, and modern motivations, Cammy is a fighter who has a lot going for her today.

However, will the Street Fighter movie understand that? We won’t know yet. We saw him in the trailer, mostly shooting a bazooka and talking softly to Chun-Li about his thighs. Actor Mel Jarnson, who is already in the 2021 Mortal Kombat movie, has more experience in this genre than others. But personally, I’m a bit worried after seeing him in the latest movie “Killer Whale”, where I wasn’t really sure about his acting. Will he fare better in Street Fighter, taking on this iconic role? That remains to be seen.

3

Trickery

Another Wrestler Jumping to Hollywood

Many wrestlers from history, including The Rock and Hulk Hogan, made the jump from WWE to Hollywood. Cody Rhodes, the current WWE champion, had just started this journey last year, with a small comedy role in Naked Gun alongside Liam Neeson. Now, he takes on a very important role, replacing Jean-Claude Van Damme as the version of Guile.

From the trailer, it seems that Guile’s fearsome personality and aggressive style will be used in a humorous way in the new film. This sounds like a good idea in theory, but since Rhodes has only appeared in one film, not a major role, this is a challenge for him. I hope it works out well, but I think I share the fear of many fans that this character and the filmmakers’ daring take on him may fall flat.

2

Ken Masters

Do You Have Protagonist Powers?

While Ryu is almost flawlessly rendered on the big screen in the Street Fighter trailer, the other main character is a little less certain. Ken Masters is another great Street Fighter character, and young star Noah Centineo may be taking him on at the right time to make it big. However, with little action experience under his belt, and his last transformed role coming in the form of Atom Smasher under Black Adam, there are a lot of doubts surrounding this character.

My first memories of Centineo in old Netflix movies like The Perfect Date are not fond of me. However, in new roles like his in The Recruit, he has started to win me over. I’m excited to see him get a big Hollywood shot in Street Fighter, and the washed-up look of his Ken Masters is promising. His comedic timing looks good too, especially in his brief fight with Ryu that we see in the trailer. Masters seems like a fighter who will take a lot of punches and bounce back, making him ready to break free, as long as Centineo is even.

1

M. Bison

A Terrifying Presence Through Uncanny Broadcasting

This is a case of wait and see how it plays out. IM. Bison was previously played by Raul Julia, whose over-the-top performance in the 1994 film was one of the highlights of that effort to bring Street Fighter to the big screen. However, fans are concerned that David Dastmalchian, who is used to comedy roles on the big screen in Suicide Squad and Ant-Man, may not fit the character well, or feel like a very believable street hero.

IM. Bison shouldn’t be the strongest hero on the list. But in a film full of big stars taking on larger-than-life characters, whatever equity they intend to make with M. Bison will be very difficult to take out. Dastmalchian is an excellent host. I would have loved to see him in a serious role like in Late Night With The Devil, but I’m still sure that many fans are talking about him as one of the possible villains in the movie, if the rumors about the plot are anything to go by.