The Street Fighter Movie Is Flexing Real Star Power

The Street Fighter movie reboot may have found its Guile—or M. Bison, or whoever Roman Reigns ends up playing. Either way, it’s happening. The former WWE champion is reportedly in talks to join Jason Momoa, Andrew Koji, and Noah Centino in Legendary and Capcom’s long-awaited live-action return to the Street Fighter universe.

As Deadline reports, this is a claimed cast. Roman Reigns—real name Leati Joseph Anoaʻi—isn’t just a random wrestler-turned-actor. He held the Undisputed WWE Championship for 1,316 days and became one of the most dominant champions in WWE history. He’s already dipped a toe into Hollywood with Hobbs & Shaw, and his casting here signals that this version of Street Fighter is aiming for muscle over subtlety.

Jason Momoa brings his Aquaman charisma and soon-to-be Lobo chaos from DC. Andrew Koji (Warrior, Bullet Train) adds real martial arts credibility. And while Centino is less known, his gritty turn in Warfare shows he's got action chops.

Street Fighter has never had a good movie. The 1994 original was a campy mess, memorable mostly for Raul Julia’s villain monologue and Van Damme’s absurd accent. The 2009 Legend of Chun-Li reboot? Even fans barely remember it. So why should we expect anything different this time?

Because Hollywood’s finally getting serious about game adaptations.

The Fighters Movie Legacy Is Wild

Let’s rewind. Fighting games have had a rough time on the big screen:

• Mortal Kombat (1995) was cheesy fun, and Mortal Kombat (2021) doubled down on the gore, leaning into what fans actually want: fatalities, blood, and chaos.
• Dead or Alive was an embarrassing fever dream. Don’t Google it.
• Tekken? Straight to DVD. Even hardcore fans skipped it.
• Street Fighter tried twice—and both times it whiffed.

But something changed around 2020. Sonic was a surprise hit. The Super Mario Bros. Movie broke box office records. Suddenly, studios realised these weren’t just niche nerd properties—they were billion-dollar franchises with built-in audiences.

Street Fighter is a legacy franchise. It's got global name recognition, a deep character roster, and a surprisingly serious storyline under the surface. If Mortal Kombat can make a comeback, why not Ryu and Ken?

Casting a pro wrestler in a fighting game movie isn’t just a PR move. Reigns lives in the world of choreographed violence and exaggerated storytelling. He’s a natural fit for something like Street Fighter, where characters scream their attacks and leap 20 feet in the air.

He’s also got the presence to pull off a major antagonist like M. Bison—someone who doesn’t need complex dialogue but does need to look like he could crush your skull. Reigns is that guy.

Image: The Hollywood Reporter

Meanwhile, Jason Momoa could easily slide into a fan-favourite like Sagat or a big personality like Zangief. Koji seems perfect for Ryu or Fei Long, characters who combine intensity with honour.

The real question is tone. Will this version of Street Fighter go serious, like Mortal Kombat 2021? Or will it wink at the audience with over-the-top style and self-aware dialogue?

Kitao Sakurai, who took over from the Talk to Me directors, is best known for Bad Trip, an unhinged prank comedy. That’s not exactly reassuring for fans hoping for a serious martial arts epic. But it might mean this film leans hard into stylised absurdity—more Scott Pilgrim, less The Raid.

Capcom is involved, which should help. If they’ve learned anything from the Mario and Sonic successes, it’s that fans want authenticity. Iconic moves, recognisable characters, classic music—if they get those right, it can still work even if the story is nonsense.

Top Fighting Game Movies So Far

If this movie lands well, it could turbocharge interest in Street Fighter 6, which already had a strong competitive showing and added more casual-friendly content this year. Fighting games rely on hype, and movies can generate that buzz in a way esports tournaments can't.

The IP synergy is real. Look at what Arcane did for League of Legends, or how Cyberpunk: Edgerunners boosted Steam sales two years after launch. Capcom probably knows a decent movie could give the franchise a second wind heading into its next DLC phase.

We’ve been burned before. But this time? They might actually pull it off. If you can cast a believable martial artist, a physical presence like Reigns, and a big name like Momoa—and give them something fun to do on screen—then yeah, Street Fighter might just escape its live-action curse.

Just please don’t cast Chris Pratt as Ken.