What's in this guide
The Street Fighter movie casts Jason Momoa as Blanka. That single casting decision tells you more about the new Street Fighter than any synopsis could. After two failed attempts, Hollywood is finally adapting the game as the game. Here is the release date, the full character list, and why this one looks different.
Street Fighter Release Date
Street Fighter opens in cinemas on Friday, October 16, 2026. Legendary Pictures produces with Capcom co-producing, and Paramount Pictures distributes — the first film out of a three-year distribution deal between Paramount and Legendary.
A teaser debuted at The Game Awards on December 11, 2025, with the official trailer following in April 2026.
What Street Fighter Is About
The film is set in 1993 — the year Street Fighter II took over arcades worldwide, which is a deliberate and rather clever choice.
Estranged fighters Ryu and Ken Masters are pulled back into combat when the mysterious Chun-Li recruits them for the next World Warrior Tournament. Behind the tournament sits a conspiracy involving M. Bison, and the old tension between Ryu and Ken threatens to surface at the worst possible moment.
The official logline ends with the line: and if they don't, it's GAME OVER.
The Full Character List
Nearly the entire World Warrior roster is cast, and the studio has confirmed every role:
- Andrew Koji as Ryu — of Warrior and Bullet Train
- Noah Centineo as Ken Masters
- Callina Liang as Chun-Li
- Jason Momoa as Blanka
- David Dastmalchian as M. Bison
- Joe "Roman Reigns" Anoa'i as Akuma
- Cody Rhodes as Guile
- Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson as Balrog
- Olivier Richters as Zangief
- Mel Jarnson as Cammy
- Vidyut Jammwal as Dhalsim
- Hirooki Goto as E. Honda
- Orville Peck as Vega
- Andrew Schulz as Dan Hibiki
- Eric André as Don Sauvage, Rayna Vallandingham as Juli, Kyle Mooney as Marvin
It is a genuinely strange and promising mix: two WWE stars, a UFC champion in Alexander Volkanovski, a rapper, a country musician, a Bollywood action star, and a Japanese pro wrestler. Casting Momoa as the green, electricity-throwing Blanka rather than a conventional hero role is the clearest signal that nobody is trying to make this respectable.
Why This One Might Work
This is the third live-action Street Fighter, and the previous two failed in opposite directions.
The 1994 film, with Jean-Claude Van Damme and Raúl Juliá, made Guile the lead and is remembered as a sincere oddity. The 2009 film, Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li, centred Chun-Li and stripped out most of the personality people came for.
This version makes Ryu and Ken the leads, which is how the games are actually structured. It also commits to the absurdity: if your heroes shout Hadouken before throwing blue fire across a room, playing it straight was never the right call. It is officially categorised as an action comedy, which is probably the correct read of the source material.
Two previous films made Guile and Chun-Li the leads. This one puts Ryu and Ken at the centre, where the games always had them.
Behind the Camera
Kitao Sakurai directs, co-writing with T. J. Fixman from a story by Dalan Musson and Gary Dauberman.
Sakurai was not the original choice. Danny and Michael Philippou, the brothers behind Talk to Me, were announced as directors before dropping out in June 2024. Sakurai joined the following February, with casting through May and June 2025.
Mary Parent and Cale Boyter produce, alongside Jason Momoa and Capcom's Takayuki Nakayama — the latter being meaningful, since Nakayama has worked directly on the games. Ken Seng shoots, Luke Lynch edits.
Where to Watch Street Fighter
Street Fighter is a theatrical release. No streaming date has been announced. Paramount is distributing, so Paramount+ is the likely eventual home, though the Legendary co-production arrangement means that is not guaranteed. We will update this post when a date is confirmed.
Should You Be Excited?
Cautiously, yes. The 1993 setting, the near-complete roster, Capcom co-producing, and Ryu and Ken as leads all suggest people who understand what makes Street Fighter work.
The risk is tonal. An action comedy with eighteen named fighters has to give each of them something to do without turning into a sequence of cameos. Whether Sakurai can hold that together is the open question, and October will answer it.
Street Fighter Movie FAQ
When does the Street Fighter movie come out?
October 16, 2026, in theatres, distributed by Paramount Pictures.
Who does Jason Momoa play?
Blanka, the green electricity-wielding fighter. Momoa also produces the film.
Who plays Ryu and Ken?
Andrew Koji plays Ryu and Noah Centineo plays Ken Masters. Callina Liang plays Chun-Li.
Who is the villain?
David Dastmalchian plays M. Bison, with Joe "Roman Reigns" Anoa'i as Akuma.
When is the film set?
1993, the year Street Fighter II dominated arcades.
Is this connected to the 1994 movie?
No. It is a new adaptation, unconnected to the Van Damme film or 2009's Legend of Chun-Li.
Is there a Street Fighter trailer?
Yes. A teaser debuted at The Game Awards in December 2025, with the official trailer following in April 2026.
Will Street Fighter be on streaming?
No date announced. Paramount+ is the likely home given Paramount is distributing.
For more October releases, see our guides to Verity and Coyote vs Acme.
