Ryu and Ken Lead the Charge in the Latest Street Fighter Trailer

Set in neon-lit 1993, the new Street Fighter film follows Ryu and Ken, formerly best friends but now estranged, as they are brought back together by the mysterious Chun-Li. Some nefarious powers lurk in the shadows of the World Warrior Tournament, compelling the couple to confront each other as well as some unpleasant memories from their past that they thought they’d forgotten.

Ken Masters appears on screen as the has-been celebrity that he has become, the ideal host for some cringeworthy MTV-style show, but Noah Centineo manages to lend a little of humor to the role, even when Ken is screaming out off-key karaoke and plainly has lost a step. Despite this, he manages to unleash his trusted Shoryuken uppercut, followed by the roll back throw that usually sends opponents reeling, and land a Jinrai Kick straight out of the current games, a lovely touch that reminds everyone that you never lose your fighting talents totally.

Ryu is about as far from the flashy showbiz life as you can get, a solitary martial artist who has managed to step back from the limelight, but Andrew Koji adds depth to the character, revealing a man who is a force to be reckoned with even when he is alone in the still of the night training for the next battle. Even as Ken delivers a flying kick, Ryu blinks briefly before he and Ken exchange glances, sizing out their old enemy. Later, we see Ryu gathering energy in his palms, and then, in a moment that will send every Street Fighter fan wild, he says the one phrase we’ve all been waiting for: “Hadouken.”

Chun-Li emerges as the driving force for Ryu and Ken’s reunion, and she possesses a steely will. Callina Liang has the poise and strength of an Interpol agent who is personally invested in seeing justice served. She wants vengeance on those who killed her father, and she believes the infamous M. Bison is behind it all. From the start, she sees Ryu as a man hiding from the world, and Ken as something of a sideshow relic, but when she recruits them both, we get a taste of the banter, including a throwaway exchange in which she trades barbs with Cammy about her famously muscular legs, a wink to all the old-school players. Chun-Li then demonstrates her own top training with the Hundred Lightning Legs move, a whirlwind of kicks that proves she’s one of the best.

Additional fighters round out the roster, resulting in some very unforgettable scenes. Joe Anoa’i makes a brief appearance as Akuma, hurtling at Ryu with a dark energy whirling about him like a mad storm in a technique known as Empyrean’s End. Curtis Jackson appears as Balrog, the heavyweight boxer who has a serious go at Ken early on. Olivier Richters looms enormous as Zangief, who attacks Ken with a piledriver that appears to have been plucked straight from the games. Jason Momoa plays Blanka, the green-skinned warrior whose electric powers stem from a bizarre tale concerning an aircraft crash. Cody Rhodes exudes Guile’s confidence with military swagger. Meanwhile, lesser roles are given to some fairly familiar faces, like Orville Peck as the clawed Vega, Vidyut Jammwal as the stretchy Dhalsim, and Eric Andre as the loudmouth announcer Don Sauvage, and each cameo just long enough to get that old familiar spark going before the next blowout begins.

Director Kitao Sakurai, who has worked on episodes of Twisted Metal and other projects, keeps the whole thing moving at a high energy level while yet keeping it grounded. The film will be released in theaters on October 16, 2026.