The Street Fighter official trailer has dropped, and we had the opportunity to see it exclusively at CinemaCon with Paramount.
This newest film adaptation of the popular video game franchise isn’t the first time a studio has tackled bringing these iconic characters and their stories to life onscreen. However, Paramount is clearly leaning into all of the things that make this world an eccentric space of violently enjoyable chaos.
Present for the early trailer viewing and discussion were director Kitao Sakurai and stars David Dastmalchian (M. Bison), 50 Cent (Balrog), Cody Rhodes (Guile), Callina Liang (Chun-Li), Noah Centineo (Ken Masters), Vidyut (Dhalsim), Roman Reigns (Akuma), Eric André (Don Sauvage), and Rayna Vallandingham (Juli). Some of the cast spoke about their experiences being cast in their respective roles, while others detailed spending six weeks of training, followed by more weeks of rehearsals prior to filming.
After, we were shown the trailer twice to the very vocal excitement of everyone in attendance. This trailer promises bold fight choreography, visually exciting special effects, and callbacks to the video game’s action and catchphrases us gamers have grown to love over the years. Noah Centineo shines with a fun mix of vulnerability and bravado as Ken Masters. Cody Rhodes fully embraces the renegade disposition of his character Guile, complete with a fantastic hair and makeup transformation. Liang’s Chun-Li portrayal is exactly what you’d expect if you’re familiar with the game, and her fight scenes with Vallandingham are a riot to witness unfold.
Karaoke/’90s pop music enthusiasts should appreciate a gag in the trailer in which iconically-blonde Ken is seen in a karaoke bar singing 4 Non Blondes’ “What’s Up,” that ubiquitous karaoke go-to, providing exhilarating background to the colorful combat sequences while also teasing the sung question, “What IS going on [in this movie]?”
Immediately following the trailer screening, the cast were then gracious enough to spend the rest of the night mingling with everyone, answering questions one-on-one, and taking photos. During my conversation with David Dastmalchian, he expressed great enthusiasm for the film’s exploration of his character’s (M. Bison) background. Noah Centineo described how rigorous the first six weeks of training were, but how close the cast became as a result.
Overall, this iteration of Street Fighter appears to finally gives us what we’ve been waiting for: an over-the-top, humorous, bloody display of martial arts portrayed by iconic characters in a vibrantly gritty world.
Street Fighter roundhouse kicks its way into theaters on October 16, 2026.
