TV & Beyond on 2025-10-11 22:10:00

by admin | Oct 11, 2025 | TV & Beyond Articles | 0 comments

a fair vanguard of passionate defenders, is still generally considered one of the worst video game movies ever made. Even in the golden age of video game adaptations, how are studios supposed to capture the magic of the 2D fighter?

Filling the cast with over a dozen shocking — yet kinda brilliant — casting choices is certainly one option. In the same way fans are thrilled by the roster announcements of each new “Street Fighter” installment, gamers and moviegoers alike will be overwhelmed by the absurdity of the “Street Fighter” 2026 cast line-up, which includes A-list Hollywood stars, viral stand-up comedians, a laundry list of professional wrestlers, and a few genuinely terrifying martial arts masters.

Let’s break down the 2026 “Street Fighter” movie cast and explain who is playing who.

Kyle Mooney as Marvin

Kyle Mooney as himself in a sketch on Saturday Night Live

NBC

We’ll kick things off with the casting that has us the most confused (for now). American filmmaker, actor, and comedian Kyle Mooney — best known for his late-2000s YouTube comedy videos (uploaded on the GoodNeighborStuff YouTube Channel) and, to a larger extent, being part of the ensemble of the NBC sketch comedy series “Saturday Night Live” (from season 39 in 2013 to season 47 in 2021) — has been announced as part of the sprawling cast of “Street Fighter” in the mysterious role of “Marvin.” We say mysterious because, unlike every other character announced so far, Marvin doesn’t appear to be an established character from the “Street Fighter” video games.

Given both Mooney’s name recognition and talent as a comedian (and that there are at least 17 named characters in the cast with actual lore), it wouldn’t be all that surprising if his role amounts to a cameo or bit comic role, with the studio choosing to announce him alongside the rest of the lineup to contribute to the hype. Aside from “SNL” and “YouTube,” readers might have seen Mooney in “Neighbors 2,” “Zoolander 2,” “No Hard Feelings,” or 2024’s “Y2K,” an A24 science fiction comedy he also wrote and directed.

Alexander Volkanovski as Joe

Alexander Volkanovski preparing for a UFC fight night to Joe from Street Fighter

ESPN MMA/YouTube/Capcom

Australian mixed martial artist Alexander Volkanovski will make his acting debut in “Street Fighter” as Joe, one of the video games’ earliest minor antagonists. In the first “Street Fighter” game, Joe is a non-player character that players beat early on. He is an accomplished kickboxer from the American South.

Volkanovski is a member of the New Zealand MMA gym City Kickboxing. He competes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) under their banner as a Featherweight (which includes fighters with weights ranging from 136 to 145 lbs. or about 62 to 65 kg.). He won the UFC Featherweight Championship title in 2019 and defended it for over 1,500 days — the second longest defense of a title in the Featherweight division, with the inaugural Featherweight champ reigning for 1,848 days. Volkanovski regained his title in 2025 and, as of writing, is the reigning UFC Featherweight Champion.

Rayna Vallandingham as Juli

Rayna Vallandingham as Zara on Cobra Kai, next to an image of Juli from Street Fighter

Netflix/Capcom

Fresh from her most high-profile role yet — which also just happened to only be the second role of her burgeoning acting career — American martial arts influencer Rayna Vallandingham has joined the cast of “Street Fighter” as Juli. First appearing in “Street Fighter Alpha 3,” Juli is a German private security officer and assassin who works for the villainous M. Bison.

Vallandingham first rose to prominence in the entertainment world thanks to her role in the Netflix “Karate Kid” sequel series “Cobra Kai” (pictured above). She debuted in season 6 part 2 in 2024 as Zara Malik, a martial arts influencer and “Queen of Karate” who fought for the Hong Kong dojo known as the Iron Dragons. Roughly a year after appearing on “Cobra Kai,” Vallandingham boasts over 3.7 million followers on Instagram, where she regularly posts videos of herself executing impressive martial arts stunts, often while wielding staffs, nunchucks, and other weapons.

She made her feature film debut in the 2015 indie MMA film “Underdog Kids” from writer-director-producer Phillip Rhee. She also appeared in the music videos for Shawn Mendes’ “Youth” and David Guetta’s “Baby Don’t Hurt Me.”

Mel Jarnson as Cammy White

Mel Jarnson as Nitara in Mortal Kombat, next to an image of Cammy in Street Fighter

Warner Bros. Pictures/Capcom

Cammy White, one of the most recognizable characters in the “Street Fighter” franchise, will be played by Thai-Australian actor Mel Jarnson, a relative newcomer to the acting world best known for her role in another film adaptation of a popular fighting game. For the uninitiated, Cammy is a rogue clone who was once one of M. Bison’s brainwashed assassins. She eventually became an asset for the British government as a member of MI6. In the 1994 film, Cammy was played by Kylie Minogue.

Jarnson made her debut in the Australian television series “Hollow” in 2019, then went on to star in the short-lived series “Between Two Worlds” in 2020. The following year, she was cast as the vampiric Veaternian assassin Nitara in the 2021 adaptation of “Mortal Kombat” (pictured above). Nitara was killed by Max Huang’s Kung Lao and is thus not slated to return to the franchise. Jarnson has also appeared in the Liam Neeson action thriller “Blacklight” and the 2024 remake of the horror film “Witchboard,” as well as episodes of “CAUGHT,” “Black Snow,” and “NCIS: Sydney.”

Hirooki Goto as Edmond Honda

Hirooki Goto in a wrestling match, next to an image of E. Honda from Street Fighter

NEW JAPAN PRO WRESTLING/Capcom

After making his American wrestling debut in the AEW (during a 2022 episode of “AEW Rampage”), Japanese professional wrestler Hirooki Goto was cast as the Japanese sumo wrestler Edmond “E.” Honda in the “Street Fighter” film. E. Honda has been a memorable part of the “Street Fighter” franchise since “Street Fighter II” and appeared in the 1994 film played by late Los Angeles Rams lineman Peter Tuiasosopo.

Goto performs in the New Japan Pro-Wrestling league, where he has been a decorated fighter since 2003. He acted intermittently throughout his career, appearing in films and TV shows like “Headshot,” “CRISIS: Special Security Squad,” and “Kamen Rider Zero-One the Movie: RealxTime.” “Street Fighter” will be Goto’s first American film.

Olivier Richters as Zangief

Olivier Richters as Paulie on Reacher next to Zangief from Street Fighter

Prime Video/Capcom

Zangief is one of a handful of “Street Fighter” characters that people unacquainted with the franchise might recognize, if for no other reason than the fact that he cameos (voiced by Rich Moore) in the Disney film “Wreck-It-Ralph.” In the 2026 “Street Fighter” film, the hulking Russian wrestler will be played by the Dutch Giant himself, Olivier Richters. Standing at 7-feet-2-inches and weighing over 350 lbs., Richters is both a professional bodybuilder and a successful actor.

He first broke through in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film “Black Widow” in 2021, playing Ursa, one of the inmates at the Red Guardian’s (David Harbour) prison. He then went on to play memorable brawlers in “The King’s Man” and “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” and he played Krom in the ill-fated adaptation of the video game “Borderlands.” His most prominent role to date was in the 3rd season of the Amazon Prime Video series “Reacher” (pictured above), in which he starred as the imposing bodyguard Paulie van Hooven. Richters follows in the footsteps of bodybuilder Andrew Bryniarski, who played Zangief in the 1994 film.

Orville Peck as Vega

Orville Peck performs in a music video, next to an image of Vega from Street Fighter

Orville Peck/YouTube/Capcom

Casting South African country musician Orville Peck as Vega in “Street Fighter” might go down as one of the most unexpected, strangest, yet most ingenious casting moves of the 2020s. Though he is best known for his work as a musical artist (particularly for his 2020 album “Show Pony”), Peck has proven himself to be a talented actor. In fact, he could probably shift over into a hybrid career fairly easily — if he weren’t dedicated to obscuring his face at all times.

Peck, who almost always performs with a mask, has managed to maintain this aspect of his persona while acting before, making himself unrecognizable with face paint for the Broadway production of “Cabaret.” For “Street Fighter,” he won’t need to go quite so hard given that Vega (a Spanish assassin who works for M. Bison) also commonly wears a mask. Well played, Mr. Peck. Well played.

Eric André as Don Sauvage

Eric Andre on The Eric Andre Show, next to an image of Don Sauvage

Adult Swim/Capcom

Like most of the names on this list so far, American comedian Eric André isn’t best known for being a straightforward film actor — though that might have changed had he not rejected the offer to play Kieran Culkin’s Oscar-worthy character in “A Real Pain.” We doubt André will be in the running for any gold statues for playing chaotic Floridian ring announcer Don Sauvage in “Street Fighter,” but it might stand out as the best bit of casting in the whole film.

André is, of course, something of a legend for his hilarious avant garde anti-talk show “The Eric André Show” (pictured above left), which ran for six seasons across 10 years on Adult Swim. The series grew from having a cult following to becoming a viral hit, and is still likely among the most referenced TV shows on social media. Other notable projects on André’s resume include “The Lion King” (2019), “Happy Gilmore 2,” “Ironheart,” and the Netflix animated sitcom “Disenchantment.”

Vidyut Jammwal as Dhalsim

Vidyut Jammwal as Dev in IB71, next to an image of Dhalsim from Street Fighter

Reliance Entertainment/Capcom

Playing Indian yoga master and fire breather Dhalsim is Indian actor Vidyut Jammwal, a Bollywood and Tollywood action star making his U.S. film debut with “Street Fighter” in 2026. Dhalsim was notably one of the most mis-adapted aspects of the 1994 film, in which he is depicted as an average scientist called “Dr. Dhalsim” (played by “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” actor Roshan Seth) who works for M. Bison. In the “Street Fighter” video games, Dhalsim is a benevolent defender of the innocent who lives a humble life, gaining god-like powers through the practice of meditation.

Jammwal established himself as an action star with the 2011 film “Force,” for which he was nominated for several debut actor awards in the Indian cinema awards circuit. He has also appeared in “Madharaasi,” “Khuda Haafiz,” “Thuppakki,” and “IB 71” (pictured above). Having demonstrated his ability as a martial artist in many of these films, it can likely be assumed that he will perform his own fight choreography in “Street Fighter.”

Cody Rhodes as Guile

Cody Rhodes speaking at Wrestlmania, next to an image of Guile from Street Fighter

WWE/Capcom

In the 1994 “Street Fighter” film, Guile — an American soldier who made his debut in the video game “Street Fighter II” — was positioned as a headlining protagonist and played by the legendary Belgian action star Jean-Claude Van Damme. Though the 2026 film seems to be moving in a different direction (casting its most traditional Hollywood talent in roles that are more central to the storyline of the games), Guile could be an opportunity for yet another pro wrestler to enter the mainstream acting ring.

Guile will be played by Cody Rhodes, an American WWE Champion who has made moves toward the film and television industry in the past. While performing under the ring name “Stardust,” Rhodes voiced fictionalized versions of himself in Hanna-Barbera cartoons like “Scooby-Doo” and “The Jetsons.” Most notably, he recurred on the CW DC Comics series “Arrow” as the metahuman drug dealer Derek Sampson (who amusingly trafficked a narcotic called Stardust). He also had a cameo in the 2025 reboot of “The Naked Gun” starring Liam Neeson.

David Dastmalchian as M. Bison

David Dastmalchian as Jack Delroy in Late Night with the Devil, next to an image of M. Bison from Street Fighter

IFC Films/Capcom

Of the characters and cast members we’ve discussed so far, it’s difficult to anticipate which will actually wind up playing a meaningful part in the story of “Street Fighter” 2026. But at this point, we’re digging into the characters we know will be central to the film, not least of all because they arguably have the most star power behind them.

It’s beyond safe to say that David Dastmalchian’s dictator warlord M. Bison will serve as the primary antagonist of the upcoming “Street Fighter” movie. One of the most recognizable video game villains of all time, Bison is often cited as a singular highlight of the original “Street Fighter” movie, with Raul Julia giving a film-stealing performance with an absolute all-time-great line delivery (“For me, it was Tuesday”).

Dastmalchian is poised to step into Julia’s boots rather easily, a devout nerd already living the dream with starring roles in major genre franchises. Readers will recognize his works in the MCU “Ant-Man” films, as the Polka-Dot Man in James Gunn’s “The Suicide Squad,” and as Harkonnen Mentat Piter de Vries in “Dune.” He has also delivered memorable performances in “Late Night with the Devil” (pictured above), Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer,” and “Prisoners.” Suffice it to say, he has both the pop culture pedigree and the acting chops to deliver an M. Bison worthy of Julia’s iconic performance.

Andrew Schulz as Dan Hibiki

Andrew Schulz performs on stage, next to an image of Dan Hibiki from Street Fighter

The Andrew Schultz/YouTube/Capcom

Though 2026’s “Street Fighter” is full of blatant, shameless stunt casting (that, for the most part, we are absolutely here for), none are as potentially distracting as the decision to have American stand up comedian Andrew Schulz portray Dan Hibiki. In the original games, Dan is a Hong Kong martial artist who is essentially defined by his incompetence and arrogance. Given how popular he is among hardcore “Street Fighter” fans — and how much of an audience Schulz commands — he might get a fair bit of screentime as the film’s comic relief. The film will serve as the character’s live-action debut regardless.

It’s a fair bit of casting, save for the fact that Schulz will presumably play Dan as an American like himself. Nevertheless, his presence may be the most divisive for viewers, as Schulz is best known for hosting the controversial “Flagrant” podcast. He also earned some negative press alongside a slate of popular comedians who performed at the 2025 Riyadh Comedy Festival in Saudi Arabia.

All that being said, Schulz does quietly have a solid acting resume that includes major roles on the IFC hockey comedy “Benders,” the Amazon Prime Video crime dramedy “Sneaky Pete,” and the Shane Gillis Netflix workplace sitcom “Tires.” He also had roles in the films “You People” and the Jack Harlow-led remake of “White Men Can’t Jump.”

Curtis 50 Cent Jackson as Balrog

Curtis Jackson, aka 50 Cent, playing Kanan Stark on Power, next to an image of Balrog from Street Fighter

Starz/Capcom

One of the main secondary villains of the upcoming “Street Fighter” film seems to be Balrog, a lecherous American boxer employed by M. Bison. The character played a minor role in the 1994 film, portrayed by the now-retired actor Grand L. Bush.

Balrog will undoubtedly have way more to do in the 2026 film, as the studio has brought in none other than Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson to play the role. Of course, Jackson is best known as one of the world’s most popular and recognizable recording artists, rapping his way to a Primetime Emmy Award for his performance in the star-studded ensemble of the Super Bowl LVI Half-Time Show in 2022.

Readers may not be as aware, however, that Jackson has seriously pursued a career in acting since he first took off as a musician, starring in the Terence Winter-penned film “Get Rich or Die Tryin'” in 2005. He continued acting consistently thereafter, mostly taking roles in low-budget action and crime thrillers. Notable film roles include Hush in the “Escape Plan” trilogy, boxing manager Jordan Mains in the Jake Gyllenhaal sports drama “Southpaw,” and Marine veteran-turned-bank robber Levi Levoux in “Den of Thieves.” On television, he played the complex and paternalistic drug dealer Kanan Stark on the Starz drama series “Power” (pictured above). Jackson appears to be excited for his role in “Street Fighter,” giving fans their first look at Balrog in action on his social media.

Callina Liang as Chun-Li

Callina Liang as Lynn sitting at a desk in Bad Genius, next to an image of Chun-Li from Street Fighter

Vertical/Capcom

Like a lot of the younger actors in the cast of “Street Fighter,” Canadian actor Callina Liang is a fairly fresh face in Hollywood. Of everyone discussed so far, however, we’d argue that she’s actually uniquely positioned to use the movie as an opportunity to break into the mainstream, in large part because she’s been cast as franchise superstar Chun-Li.

The Chinese master of Kung Fu is arguably the character most synonymous with and recognizable from the “Street Fighter” franchise, as well as one of the most culturally important video game characters of all time. When she first made her debut in “Street Fighter II” in 1991, she broke major ground as the first playable woman in a fighting game ever (in fact, she’s remembered as one of the first playable women in video games period). Ming-Na Wen was the first to play her in 1994’s “Street Fighter,” while “Smallville” actor Kristen Kreuk took up the mantle in 2009’s “Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li.”

The fact that the character herself is something of a pop culture icon even outside the brand of “Street Fighter” isn’t the only reason the 2026 film will almost certainly feature Callina Liang prominently. The actor has been on an absolute career sprint since debuting in the 1st season of the British teen drama “Tell Me Everything,” going on to star in the underrated thriller “Bad Genius” (pictured above) and the innovative Steven Soderbergh horror movie “Presence,” both in 2024. Liang’s talent is unmistakable in both films, paving the way for “Street Fighter” to launch her to blockbuster status overnight.

Joe Anoa’i / Roman Reigns as Akuma

Roman Reigns as Mateo Hobbs, throwing someone over his head in Hobbs and Shaw, next to an image of Akuma from Street Fighter

Universal Pictures

Speaking of rising stars finally ready to break out of the atmosphere, it’s about time Joe Anoa’i got a chance to test his might (sorry, wrong franchise) as an action star. The American professional wrestler — better known by his WWE ring name “Roman Reigns” — was all but anointed by the godfather of wrestlers-turned-actors himself, Dwayne Johnson, when “The Rock” cast Anoa’i as his brother in “Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw” (pictured above).

It’s been six years since the release of the film, and the actor has yet to make much of an impact outside the wrestling arena. Now that he’s been given the opportunity to play Akuma — a demonic, ultra-powerful force of brutality in the video games — Anoa’i could find new success by turning heel like his wrestling persona.

Jason Momoa as Blanka

Jason Mamoa as Arthur Curry wearing a bathrobe in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, next to an image of Blanka from Street Fighter

Warner Bros. Pictures/Capcom

Easily the biggest name attached to “Street Fighter” as of writing, it’s hard to imagine any readers needing an extensive introduction to Jason Momoa. After making his way as a genre television actor on “Stargate Atlantis” and “Game of Thrones,” the actor became one of Hollywood’s most bankable leading men thanks to his casting as Aquaman in Zack Snyder’s “Justice League” films (seen in the role above). His solo film, directed by James Wan, grossed over a billion dollars worldwide. He has been featured in a number of massive box office hits since, including “Dune” and “A Minecraft Movie.” He recently led the AppleTV+ miniseries “Chief of War” and is slated to play Lobo in the upcoming “Supergirl” feature film.

Momoa has been cast as the Brazilian fighter Blanka, another character somewhat hilariously over-re-worked in the 1994 movie (he was played by Robert Mammone, effectively as a combination of Blanka and the side character Charlie Nash). Despite Momoa’s popularity, Blanka will not be the star of the film — instead “Street Fighter” will likely be a double bill of the last two names on our list.

Noah Centineo as Ken Masters

Netflix/Capcom

One of the two overarching protagonists of the “Street Fighter” franchise, Ken Masters is undoubtedly set to play an identical role in the 2026 film. Even with the Muscles from Brussels towering over the film, Damian Chapa’s Ken was still a driving force in the plot of the 1994 “Street Fighter.” Now, the red gi will be passed to none other than Noah Centineo, a relatively well-known star who’s been angling for his next big career jump for a while now.

After breaking out as the viral heartthrob of the Netflix rom-com series “To All The Boys,” Centineo became an intensely sought-after actor, quickly attached to a slew of buzzy projects that either failed to repeat the same effect (see 2019’s “Charlie’s Angels” or, later, the Netflix series “The Recruit” and Dwayne Johnson’s catastrophic “Black Adam”) or simply failed to materialize (remember when he was supposed to play He-Man?). Despite never breaking through to the level of prestige enjoyed by the Chalamets and Butlers of young Hollywood, Centineo has shown time and time again — especially in projects like the A24 film “Warfare” — that he has the gravitas, charisma, and talent to stand shoulder to shoulder with them. “Street Fighter” could stand to take Centineo to that next level as a leading man — and if not, there’s always the young Rambo movie.

Andrew Koji as Ryu

Andrew Koji as Ah Sahm, staring down an opponent in Warrior, next to an image of Ryu from Street Fighter

HBO Max

Appropriately, the smartest casting choice was reserved for Ryu, who — though not as recognizable as Chun-Li — could be considered the star of the “Street Fighter” series overall. Whether in the video games or in the 1994 film (in which he was played by Hong Kong-American actor Byron Mann), Ryu is depicted as an apex combatant, both in terms of skill and spirit. The victory or defeat of any “Street Fighter” project should rest on his shoulders, and, fortunately, the casting team landed a killer first blow by hiring Andrew Koji to take on the job.

For those who don’t know, Koji is best known as the star of the Cinemax (and later HBO Max) series “Warrior,” perhaps one of the greatest martial arts stories told in the last decade. Aside from the fighting talent he displayed throughout its three seasons, Koji’s character required a deft, restrained dramatic performance that the actor absolutely nailed. We’re hopeful a film as big and packed with personality as this one could help audiences around the world recognize Koji as the action star he deserves to be.

We’ll just have to wait and see how the battle is won when “Street Fighter” hits theaters on October 16, 2026.

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