MOVIE NEWS – The Street Fighter cast is coming together at breakneck speed, with some truly surprising names stepping into the shoes of these iconic gaming legends. Back in the ’90s, Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat ruled the fighting game scene, and with Mortal Kombat already getting a new movie reboot, it was only a matter of time before Street Fighter followed suit. Sony Pictures and Legendary Entertainment aren’t slowing down—the casting news is hitting harder than a Blanka electric shock!

The latest twist: Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson has joined the Street Fighter reboot as Balrog, the former boxer first introduced in Street Fighter II: The World Warrior, and right-hand man to the evil M. Bison. Soon after, Deadline reported that comedian and podcast firebrand Andrew Shulz is also on board. While Shulz’s role isn’t officially confirmed, word is he’ll be playing Dan Hibiki, who made his debut in 1995’s Street Fighter Alpha.

The film was originally set to be directed by Danny and Michael Philippou, but the brothers left to focus on Bring Her Back. Now, the adaptation is in the hands of Kitao Sakurai (Bad Trip). The cast list is filling up fast: Andrew Koji (Warrior) and Noah Centineo (Black Adam) take on the roles of Ryu and Ken, Callina Liang (Tell Me Everything) plays Chun-Li, Jason Momoa (Aquaman) steps in as Blanka, and WWE’s Roman Reigns becomes Akuma. Walton Goggins (Fallout) is heavily rumored to be the frontrunner for the film’s main villain, M. Bison.

Third Time’s the Charm for Street Fighter?

This marks Street Fighter’s third live-action movie attempt. The first, released in 1994, starred Jean-Claude Van Damme, Raul Julia, and Ming-Na Wen—it was a box office hit, but critics and die-hard fans hated it. Then came 2009’s Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li, which tried to deliver a grounded origin story for one of the franchise’s most beloved characters. Despite starring Kristin Kreuk as Chun-Li, Neal McDonough as M. Bison, and the late, great Michael Clarke Duncan as Balrog, the movie flopped at the box office and scored a dismal 3% on Rotten Tomatoes.

There’s still no confirmed release date for this latest Street Fighter adaptation. Initially slated for March 20, 2026, Sony Pictures has since pulled the movie from its schedule. But with the cast falling into place so quickly, filming could kick off any day now, making a late 2026 or 2027 release look likely. Thanks to recent video game movie hits like The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Minecraft, and the Sonic franchise, maybe—just maybe—this is the time Street Fighter finally gets the movie series it deserves.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline