The official trailer for “Street Fighter” is here, and it looks like the filmmakers are fully embracing the franchise’s 90s roots in a big way.
Set in 1993, the film follows estranged fighters Ryu and Ken Masters as they’re pulled back into action by Chun-Li for the next World Warrior Tournament. Of course, things aren’t quite that simple. What starts as another brutal test of skill quickly gives way to something much bigger, with a dangerous conspiracy forcing old allies into conflict while dredging up the past along the way.
Andrew Koji stars as Ryu, with Noah Centineo stepping into the role of Ken Masters and Callina Liang taking on Chun-Li. Director Kitao Sakurai appears to be leaning hard into the energy that made the games so unforgettable, and from the look of the trailer, that means no shortage of high-impact action, familiar moves, and larger-than-life characters.
The cast is loaded from top to bottom. Joe “Roman Reigns” Anoai plays Akuma, David Dastmalchian takes on M. Bison, Cody Rhodes steps in as Guile, Andrew Schulz appears as Dan Hibiki, Eric André plays Don Sauvage, and Vidyut Jammwal portrays Dhalsim. The lineup also includes Orville Peck as Vega, Olivier Richters as Zangief, Hirooki Goto as E. Honda, Rayna Vallandingham as Juli, and Alexander Volkanovski as Joe. Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson appears as Balrog, while Jason Momoa rounds things out as Blanka.
One of the trailer’s coolest touches is its soundtrack choice, which taps directly into the era the film is set in. The preview is fueled by 90s nostalgia, including an unreleased version of Tupac Shakur’s “Ambitionz Az a Ridah” that was reportedly created for Mike Tyson back in the 1990s. That detail alone gives the trailer an extra bit of swagger.
Behind the scenes, the film is based on the Capcom video game, with story by Dalan Musson and Gary Dauberman and screenplay by T.J. Fixman and Kitao Sakurai. Producers include Mary Parent, Cale Boyter, Jason Momoa, Takayuki Nakayama, and Stefan Makhoul, with JJ Hook, Jay Ashenfelter, Kenzo Tsujimoto, and Haruhiro Tsujimoto serving as executive producers.
“Street Fighter” is shaping up to be a nostalgic swing for longtime fans while also aiming to deliver the kind of crowd-pleasing action modern audiences expect. If the trailer is any indication, this one knows exactly what it is and isn’t afraid to have some fun with it.
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