Street Fighter is getting a big cinematic reboot with some big names

Here comes a new challenger

I’m not terribly familiar with Centineo’s work, but he’s something of a Netflix heartthrob. You might remember him as Atom Smasher in the polarizing Black Adam movie, where he was a bit of a klutz more than a leading man, but he will be in the upcoming Rambo prequel, so despite his pretty-boy roots, he might be a good fit for Ken Masters’ bigger-than-life ego.

Koji is an ideal choice for the role of Ryu. If you haven’t seen the martial arts period gangster show Warrior, do yourself a favor and check it out. He plays the lead role of Ah Sahm, a Chinese immigrant caught up in the gang wars of late-1800s San Francisco. You might also recognize Koji as the G.I. Joe anti-villain Snake Eyes from the 2021 movie of the same name. Koji brings legitimate martial arts chops to the franchise, and I’m looking forward to seeing what he brings to the role.

Momoa made his name as the beefy Khal Drogo on Game of Thrones back in 2011, the same year he starred in the titular role in Conan the Barbarian. Although there’s some content to build upon, Blanka’s narrative slate is relatively clean, so it’s impossible to say if Momoa can give life to the role (although he does have the right build). But given Blanka’s green skin and outlandish attacks, a lot of the physicality will likely be CG anyway.

Liang doesn’t have as big a CV as some of her costars, so it’s hard to say for certain if she’s up to the role. As far as I can tell, she doesn’t have any demonstrated martial arts experience, but some outlets have reported that she has a strong background in Wushu and Silat, which she’ll need to pull off this iconic role (and the signature lightning kick).

Standing over seven feet tall and weighing over 350 pounds, this might be the role Richters was born to play. Richters first made a name for himself as a bodybuilder but has since pivoted to acting, landing roles in Black Widow, Indiana Jones, and Borderlands. 

Goto is an accomplished Japanese pro wrestler who has worked in leagues around the world. His acting resume is a little flimsy, but you can’t rise through the wrestling ranks without having a minimal capacity to act. He also doesn’t have the bulk of Honda, indicating the new Street Fighter movie might go a different direction for E. Honda. 

Jammwal’s filmography outside of India is barren, and Street Fighter will be his first Hollywood film. But inside India, Jammwal is a Bollywood star known for his chiselled physique and over-the-top action roles. He also has decades of martial arts experience under his belt, which will come in handy.

Rhodes comes to Street Fighter from the world of professional wrestling. Outside of the ring, Rhodes doesn’t have a lot of acting experience, but you might have noticed his cameo in the new Naked Gun. He should at least be familiar with the source material, given his reputation as an avid gamer.

Vokanovski is the only honest-to-goodness professional fighter announced in the cast so far. If you don’t know who Joe is, don’t worry, he hasn’t been seen in a Street Fighter game since the first title launched in 1987, and he doesn’t really have a backstory, so anything’s possible here.

If you follow movie adaptations of popular fighting games, you might recognize Jarnson as Nitara from the 2021 Mortal Kombat remake. But even though she’s been in a similar movie before, she didn’t do much fighting in Mortal Kombat, and it’s unclear if she’s got the skills to fill Killer Bee’s boots.

Schulz is known for his stand-up comedy and his podcasts. Although Dan is known for his mix of Muay Thai and Karate styles, Schulz has trained in MMA, and while any martial arts training will bring depth to the role, I’m not sure if that will translate. His mom was a dance instructor, though, so maybe he can nail the choreography.

Balrog – 50 Cent

Even though 50 Cent is a popular performer, he actually did some amateur boxing when he was young, so at the very least, he should be able to move like a boxer. He’s also been in more than a handful of films, so there’s definitely a spark of acting talent here, but a lot of his work has been as “himself,” so we’ll see if we get Balrog or 50 Cent with boxing gloves in the final product.

If Vega were a South African country singer instead of a Spanish bullfighter, he would be Orville Peck. Both characters (Orville Peck is a pseudonym) also have a penchant for wearing masks. Peck is known almost exclusively as a musician, but he’s also worked in musical theater, so ostensibly, he can act. We’ll have to wait and see if he’s got the ninjitsu moves of Vega.

If you’re into martial arts or health social media, you might have come across Rayna Vallandingham on Instagram or TikTok where she has millions of followers. Or you might have seen her on the latest season of Cobra Kai. Unlike much of the cast, Vallandingham has extensive martial arts experience, having practiced Taekwondo since she was 2.

You might not know the name, but you’ve almost certainly spied Dastmalchian in something (like Polka-Dot Man in The Suicide Squad), seeing as he’s one of the most prolific character actors working right now. He’s not known for his physicality nor his martial arts skills, but he is a bona fide nerd, so maybe that will help him fill out the role.

Akuma is one of the two big baddies in the Street Fighter universe, and as a beloved heel in the WWE world, Reigns has experience playing the role of a big-bad-evil-guy. Outside of the ring, Reigns doesn’t have a lot of experience in front of the camera, so it’s a toss-up whether he can pull off one of Street Fighter’s BBEGs.

If you don’t know who Don Sauvage is, don’t worry, neither did I. He’s a background character in Zangeif’s storyline in Street Fighter V, and he kind of looks like André. As a comic, André is polarizing, but he’s had lots of TV cameos and voice work over the years, so he’s not a horrible pick.