Perhaps the most intriguing casting among the upcoming live-action Street Fighter movie is the choice of Jason Momoa to portray Blanka.
Within the cast, Momoa is arguably the most established actor, but he's going to be relegated to portraying the beast-like warrior Street Fighter fans know as Blanka, a character that primarily communicates through grunts, growls, and broken English.
However, Momoa apparently believes that's exactly why he's suited to portray Blanka, likely referencing his past roles as strong and imposing warriors of few words like Khal Drogo and Ronon Dex. He also stated that Street Fighter was one of the only video games he played growing up.
“There’s no one better to play Blanka, so that’s why I’m doing it,” Momoa said recently on The Playlist’s Bingeworthy podcast. “We’ll do what the audience would like to see — practical, CG — we’re gonna do our best. The cast is insane. My son and I play it; it’s the only game I played.“
He also touched on the status of the next Fast and Furious movie, stating that it's likely not happening anytime soon, as he's yet to receive a script. “I would love to come back and play, man. People all over the world love that character—it’s crazy. But I got no script, so not that soon,” Momoa stated.
The confirmed cast for the movie now includes:
- Noah Centineo as Ken
- Andrew Koji as Ryu
- Cody Rhodes as Guile
- WWE's Roman Reigns as Akuma
- Jason Momoa as Blanka
- Callina Liang as Chun-Li
- Andrew Schulz as Dan
- Orville Peck as Vega
- 50 Cent as Balrog
- David Dastmalchian as M. Bison
- Vidyut Jammwal as Dhalsim
- Olivier Richters as Zangief
- Mel Jarnson as Cammy
- Rayna Vallandingham as Juli
- Rayna Vallandingham as Juli
- Hirooki Goto as E. Honda
The only longtime Street Fighter character that has yet to be cast or have it revealed is Sagat.
Production on the new Street Fighter movie is currently underway in Australia. The project is a collaboration between Legendary Entertainment and Capcom, aiming to bring the beloved fighting game franchise to life once again. Director Kitao Sakurai, known for directing the wild comedy Bad Trip, will be behind the camera, while the script comes from Dalan Musson, who previously worked on Captain America: Brave New World.
Street Fighter is widely considered to be one of the cornerstones of the fighting game genre (alongside Mortal Kombat), with a long history of influence and innovation. But its cinematic history has been far less successful.
The 1994 film starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and Kylie Minogue earned a cult following thanks to its campy charm and exaggerated performances, despite receiving mixed reviews and only modest box office returns.
On the other hand, the 2009 spin-off Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li was critically panned and is often cited as one of the genre’s worst video game adaptations of all-time.
The official synopsis for the film reads, "Set in 1993, estranged Street Fighters Ryu (Andrew Koji) and Ken Masters (Noah Centineo) are thrown back into combat when the mysterious Chun-Li (Callina Liang) recruits them for the next World Warrior Tournament: a brutal clash of fists, fate, and fury. But behind this battle royale lies a deadly conspiracy that forces them to face off against each other and the demons of their past. And if they don’t, it’s GAME OVER!”
Street Fighter is now scheduled to hit theaters on October 16, 2026.