Info in Movie News | At The Game Awards, the first teaser for the live-action Street Fighter (2026) movie was a shock to the audience, as it was a chaotic, colorful, and arcade-like display, pretty much without any attempt at realism. It looks like Paramount is not trying to ground the world in reality but rather is going full throttle with the crazy visuals that made the franchise famous. With a cast including Andrew Koji, Noah Centineo, Jason Momoa, and Cody Rhodes, this movie with a huge character roster is already turning out to be one of the most audacious video game adaptations ever.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, the 45 second sneak peek was met with a mixed cocktail of the emotions amusement, excitement and confusion. Ryu, played by Andrew Koji, a shot of his fist tightly clenched and tense, focused, is the only thing you see. Callina Liang as Chun Li, stands perfect as close to the arcade original one of the most iconic characters in the world of fighting games. In a dark and smoky location, Akuma played by Roman Reigns is shown to be the villain with a monstrous aura. But it was Guile, to put it simply, a towering blond flattop straight out of a video game sprite of the early 1990s whose character was discussed the most by the people because of the instant conversation center that Cody Rhodes created by just being there. Hollywood Reporter wrote that the haircut looks “too video game” for the real world, a comment that quickly went viral among fans.
Paramount puts the story in 1993, a purposeful decision that helps to maintain the vintage look. TheWrap informs that Ryu and Ken get involved again in the World Warrior Tournament after Chun Li asks them to investigate a lethal conspiracy. The era choice allows the movie to preserve the neon drenched arcade energy that defined Street Fighter during its peak years. It also gives logical room for exaggerated costumes, stylized lighting, and highly saturated colors that match the original games.
Although the teaser is in a cartoonish style, the action choreography is a lot sharper than one would have expected. Andrew Koji literally was able to bring his martial arts background to the role as he executed clean roundhouse kicks and deep grounded movements which helped to stabilize the rest of the crazy visuals. Blanka is the closest thing to a monster that Jason Momoa is going to have to fight and the teaser, as a result, shows a daring combination of prosthetics and stylized effects. David Dastmalchian’s M. Bison is a threatening character that is very much in line with the tone of the project.
The Game Awards moment also sparked a friendly rivalry between this movie and Mortal Kombat 2. Andrew Schulz, who plays Dan Hibiki, joked on stage that the Mortal Kombat cast “only cares about money” while the Street Fighter cast cares “about money and the players.” Producer Todd Garner responded online, writing that he does not “climb over others to get ahead.” The interaction was comical, however, it immediately brought back to life the very serious debates of the old arcade era about which franchise is the ultimate one. Since both movies will be out in 2026, people will certainly compare them even if they are not released simultaneously.
People's reactions on different social media platforms were very diverse: fervent supporters on one side and doubtful on the other. Some fans on X praised the movie as a “non serious stomp fest” that looks fun and self aware. Others expressed hesitation, noting that the hyper accurate designs blur the line between live action and uncanny cosplay. Several users pointed out that certain shots look like CGI even though they are not. This gap between stylization and realism may become the movie’s biggest gamble. Still, the ambition to replicate the iconic sprites frame for frame is something no major studio has ever attempted at this scale.
Paramount has proven that it will not hesitate to change the characters' appearances if the fans do not like them. The Sonic the Hedgehog redesign in 2019 is probably the only major instance of a studio being so extremely and immediately responsive to the fans' in the recent past. The team still has the hour to alter their reactions to Guile's haircut or the characters if these being desaturated compositions get louder until the full trailer release. Whether they will make this change is however not evident, the studio is quite aware that the fanbase is very closely monitoring.
Street Fighter 2026 turns into one of the most fearless video game movies ever. It does not gently handle the source material but rather it amps up every exaggerated detail, every bizarre hairstyle, and every overly dramatic move that made the arcade classic a worldwide phenomenon. If the final product turns out to be a reflection of that same tumultuous kind of charm, then it could be the unexpected accomplishment of the year. Otherwise, it may become a nice cult thing that the fans will talk about for a long time. However, the movie choosing not to play it safe is what makes it interesting to be seen just for that reason alone.
Source Hollywood Reporter, Variety, TheWrap
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