Street Fighter's Wild Cast Brings 50 Cent, Momoa, and WWE's Roman Reigns

Max Sterling, 6/27/2025 In a casting cocktail that would make a fever dream blush, Legendary's Street Fighter reboot serves up a deliriously diverse ensemble – from 50 Cent to Orville Peck. It's either Hollywood's most brilliant gamble or its most entertaining mishap-in-waiting. Either way, I'm grabbing my popcorn.

Remember when video game movies were just quick cash grabs with D-list celebrities? Those days are apparently dead and buried. The production company just dropped a cast list that reads like someone's fever dream wishlist actually came true.

Andrew Koji's landing the role of Ryu shouldn't surprise anyone who's been paying attention. Between his work on "Warrior" and that scene-stealing turn in "Bullet Train," the guy's basically been auditioning for this role without knowing it. But here's where things get interesting – really interesting.

Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson as Balrog? Sure, why not. The man who brought us "In Da Club" throwing haymakers as Street Fighter's notorious boxer somehow makes perfect sense. After his surprisingly nuanced work in "Get Rich or Die Tryin'" and that killer run on "Power," Jackson's proven he's got more than enough presence to make Balrog's swagger feel authentic.

Then there's Jason Momoa taking on Blanka. Yeah, that Blanka – the green-skinned electricity-conducting warrior who probably gave half of us nightmares in the 90s. But if anyone can make a character that ridiculous feel grounded, it's the guy who made Aquaman cool again. (Still can't believe we're living in that timeline, by the way.)

Speaking of presence – WWE's Roman Reigns stepping into Akuma's role feels almost too perfect. After dominating professional wrestling for what feels like forever (1,316 days as Universal Champion, but who's counting?), portraying Street Fighter's ultimate warrior seems like a natural progression.

Perhaps the most fascinating bit of casting magic? Orville Peck trading his signature rhinestone mask for Vega's iconic metal one. There's something deliciously meta about a masked country singer playing a masked Spanish ninja – the kind of detail that makes you wonder if someone in casting deserves a raise.

The younger crowd gets their eye candy too. Noah Centineo's bringing his "Black Adam" experience to Ken Masters, while newcomer Callina Liang takes on the pressure-cooker role of Chun-Li. And comedian Andrew Schulz as Dan Hibiki? That's the kind of inspired casting that suggests someone actually understands both the character and the source material.

With Bad Trip's Kitao Sakurai directing, this whole enterprise walks a tightrope between reverence and reinvention. Street Fighter's moved north of 55 million units worldwide – clearly, there's something timelessly appealing about its particular brand of martial arts mayhem.

Let's be honest – Street Fighter's previous Hollywood outings haven't exactly set the world on fire. (Pour one out for Raul Julia's final performance.) But this cast... this absolutely bonkers assembly of talent... well, it suggests someone finally understands that adapting a game where yoga masters fight sumo wrestlers requires both serious commitment and a healthy sense of the absurd.

The plot details remain under wraps tighter than M. Bison's military uniform, but with this ensemble, 2025's Street Fighter adaptation might just be the one that finally gets it right. At the very least, it'll be fascinating to watch them try.

Hollywood's latest casting announcement feels like someone threw a dart at the entertainment industry's phone book – and somehow hit nothing but bullseyes. Legendary Entertainment's upcoming Street Fighter adaptation has assembled what might be the most wonderfully bizarre ensemble since Ocean's Eleven convinced A-listers to play dress-up together.Remember when video game movies were just quick cash grabs with D-list celebrities? Those days are apparently dead and buried. The production company just dropped a cast list that reads like someone's fever dream wishlist actually came true.Andrew Koji's landing the role of Ryu shouldn't surprise anyone who's been paying attention. Between his work on "Warrior" and that scene-stealing turn in "Bullet Train," the guy's basically been auditioning for this role without knowing it. But here's where things get interesting – really interesting.Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson as Balrog? Sure, why not. The man who brought us "In Da Club" throwing haymakers as Street Fighter's notorious boxer somehow makes perfect sense. After his surprisingly nuanced work in "Get Rich or Die Tryin'" and that killer run on "Power," Jackson's proven he's got more than enough presence to make Balrog's swagger feel authentic.Then there's Jason Momoa taking on Blanka. Yeah, that Blanka – the green-skinned electricity-conducting warrior who probably gave half of us nightmares in the 90s. But if anyone can make a character that ridiculous feel grounded, it's the guy who made Aquaman cool again. (Still can't believe we're living in that timeline, by the way.)Speaking of presence – WWE's Roman Reigns stepping into Akuma's role feels almost too perfect. After dominating professional wrestling for what feels like forever (1,316 days as Universal Champion, but who's counting?), portraying Street Fighter's ultimate warrior seems like a natural progression.Perhaps the most fascinating bit of casting magic? Orville Peck trading his signature rhinestone mask for Vega's iconic metal one. There's something deliciously meta about a masked country singer playing a masked Spanish ninja – the kind of detail that makes you wonder if someone in casting deserves a raise.The younger crowd gets their eye candy too. Noah Centineo's bringing his "Black Adam" experience to Ken Masters, while newcomer Callina Liang takes on the pressure-cooker role of Chun-Li. And comedian Andrew Schulz as Dan Hibiki? That's the kind of inspired casting that suggests someone actually understands both the character and the source material.With Bad Trip's Kitao Sakurai directing, this whole enterprise walks a tightrope between reverence and reinvention. Street Fighter's moved north of 55 million units worldwide – clearly, there's something timelessly appealing about its particular brand of martial arts mayhem.Let's be honest – Street Fighter's previous Hollywood outings haven't exactly set the world on fire. (Pour one out for Raul Julia's final performance.) But this cast... this absolutely bonkers assembly of talent... well, it suggests someone finally understands that adapting a game where yoga masters fight sumo wrestlers requires both serious commitment and a healthy sense of the absurd.The plot details remain under wraps tighter than M. Bison's military uniform, but with this ensemble, 2025's Street Fighter adaptation might just be the one that finally gets it right. At the very least, it'll be fascinating to watch them try.