Paramount Pictures and Legendary have finally stepped into the ring with the first full trailer for Street Fighter 2026, and the footage suggests the studios are not pulling any punches. Unveiled at CinemaCon before exploding across social media on April 16, 2026, the roughly three-minute preview positions director Kitao Sakurai's live-action adaptation of Capcom's arcade classic as a vibrant, unapologetically campy love letter to the source material. With a murderers' row of actors, wrestlers, musicians, and real fighters suiting up as the World Warriors, Street Fighter 2026 is shaping up to be one of the most ambitious video game movies in recent memory.
The trailer opens in 1993, a deliberately throwback setting that leans hard into the era when Street Fighter II was dominating arcades worldwide. The plot, as teased, follows estranged best friends Ryu and Ken Masters after a bitter falling out. They are reluctantly pulled back into combat by the enigmatic Chun-Li, who recruits them for the next World Warrior Tournament — a brutal global competition that quickly reveals itself to be something far more sinister. Behind the battle royale lurks a deadly conspiracy that forces the duo to confront not only each other but the demons of their shared past, presumably orchestrated by franchise staple M. Bison and his Shadaloo organization.
Visually, the footage bounces between neon-drenched city streets, shadowy dojos and packed tournament arenas, blending blockbuster scale with a distinctly playful tone. One of the most-shared sequences is cut to 4 Non Blondes' "What's Up?" — an audacious needle drop that signals just how committed the filmmakers are to embracing the camp energy that has always defined the series.
If there is one thing the Street Fighter 2026 trailer makes undeniably clear, it is that the casting department went big. Noah Centineo takes the spotlight as Ken Masters, the blonde-haired American heir who has long been one half of the series' marquee rivalry. Opposite him is Andrew Koji as Ryu, the disciplined wanderer searching for the meaning of true strength. Callina Liang plays Chun-Li, the Interpol-trained fighter who acts as the emotional engine for much of the story.
Around this central trio orbits a supporting cast so wide-ranging it reads like a crossover event. Jason Momoa — who also serves as a producer on the film — transforms into the feral, green-skinned Blanka, while David Dastmalchian slides into the role of iconic villain M. Bison. Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson plays disgraced boxer Balrog, Vidyut Jammwal brings his martial-arts pedigree to the elastic monk Dhalsim, and country star Orville Peck steps behind the mask as the vain Spanish assassin Vega. Olivier Richters towers as Zangief, sumo legend Hirooki Goto portrays E. Honda, and comedian Andrew Schulz pops up as the perpetually overlooked Dan Hibiki. Eric André's Don Sauvage handles announcer duties, while Mel Jarnson and Rayna Vallandingham round things out as Cammy and Juli, with Kyle Mooney as Marvin.
One of the most delightful surprises is just how many combat-sports stars have been pulled into the Street Fighter 2026 orbit. WWE icon Joe "Roman Reigns" Anoa'i steps into the dark gi of Akuma, Ryu's demonic rival, while reigning WWE favorite Cody Rhodes takes on the all-American military man Guile. Rounding out the physical performers is UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski in a blink-and-you-miss-it cameo as Joe. The casting choices reinforce a clear creative intent: ground the fantastical brawling in performers who actually know how to sell a hit — and, according to Centineo, occasionally land a real one. The Ken actor has already shared a now-viral story about 50 Cent accidentally connecting with a punch during filming, a mishap the rapper worried might tank his future acting prospects.
Sakurai's adaptation is clearly aimed squarely at the fans. The trailer is packed with callbacks that longtime players will spot immediately. Ryu and Ken unleash picture-perfect Hadoukens and Tatsumaki Senpukyakus, Chun-Li fires off her trademark Spinning Bird Kick, and Zangief delivers a crushing Russian suplex that looks lifted straight from an arcade screen. There is even a recreation of the beloved car-smash bonus stage from Street Fighter II, an iconic sequence that fans would have rioted over if the filmmakers had skipped it. A cheeky visual gag also nods to Chun-Li's famously powerful thighs, a long-running piece of series lore.
Sharp-eyed viewers have noted subtler details too. Balrog's boxing gloves are branded "Buffalo," a sly wink to the character's original Japanese name — and a quiet acknowledgment of the Mike Tyson-inspired backstory that forced Capcom to shuffle names around for Western markets. A flashback photograph of a young Ryu and Ken mirrors the costume designs worn by Byron Mann and Damian Chapa in the 1994 Jean-Claude Van Damme film, rewarding viewers who remember that earlier, much-maligned adaptation. Background crowds are even choreographed to mimic the repetitive, looping spectator animations of the classic arcade cabinets. The audio mix layers in punching and laughing sound effects pulled directly from the games, along with a rare version of 2Pac's "Ambitionz Az a Ridah" reportedly recorded for Mike Tyson in the 1990s — a roundabout tie back to Balrog's real-world inspiration.
Paramount has locked in October 16, 2026 as the theatrical release date for Street Fighter 2026, positioning the film as a potential fall tentpole ahead of the holiday corridor. Capcom co-produced the project alongside Legendary, with Dalan Musson credited on the screenplay. Launched in 1987, the Street Fighter franchise has sold more than 55 million units worldwide, making it one of the highest-grossing and most recognizable fighting-game series in history — a legacy that, for better or worse, no previous film has fully captured.
With that pedigree behind it, genuine reverence for the games, and one of the most eclectic ensembles ever assembled for a fighting-game movie, Street Fighter 2026 has a real shot at finally breaking the so-called video game movie curse. Whether it becomes the definitive arcade-to-cinema adaptation or simply a gloriously entertaining brawl, one thing is already clear from the trailer: the battle is on.
Since Street Fighter 2026 doesn't release until October 16, 2026, no formal critic reviews exist yet. However, early trailer reactions from outlets including Deadline, Gizmodo, and The Hollywood Reporter have been overwhelmingly positive, with fans and press praising its faithful recreation of arcade moves, campy tone, and star-studded ensemble cast.
The confirmed Street Fighter 2026 cast includes:
Noah Centineo as Ken Masters
Andrew Koji as Ryu
Callina Liang as Chun-Li
Jason Momoa as Blanka (also a producer)
Joe "Roman Reigns" Anoa'i as Akuma
David Dastmalchian as M. Bison
Cody Rhodes as Guile
Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson as Balrog
Vidyut Jammwal as Dhalsim
Orville Peck as Vega
Olivier Richters as Zangief
Hirooki Goto as E. Honda
Andrew Schulz as Dan Hibiki
Eric André as Don Sauvage
Rayna Vallandingham as Juli
Alexander Volkanovski as Joe
Mel Jarnson as Cammy
Kyle Mooney as Marvin
The film is directed by Kitao Sakurai, written by Dalan Musson, and produced by Legendary Pictures in collaboration with Capcom for a theatrical release by Paramount Pictures on October 16, 2026.
Alice Robbins · Editor
Editor
