‘Street Fighter’ Unveils First Blanka and Ryu Showdown

Jason Momoa’s towering take on Blanka finally steps into the spotlight in a newly released special look from Street Fighter, offering fans their clearest glimpse yet of the fan favourite character as he clashes with Andrew Koji’s Ryu. The latest footage arrives ahead of the film’s cinema release this October, teasing one of the franchise’s most recognisable match-ups.

The preview focuses on an encounter between the electrified jungle warrior and Ryu, showcasing the film’s blend of martial arts action, humour and larger-than-life character designs. While only a brief taste of the finished feature, the sequence gives audiences another indication of director Kitao Sakurai’s approach to adapting Capcom’s long-running video game series for the big screen.

Set in 1993, Street Fighter follows estranged fighters Ryu and Ken Masters, played by Koji and Noah Centineo, who are drawn back into combat after Chun-Li recruits them to compete in the latest World Warrior Tournament. What begins as a contest between elite fighters gradually uncovers a wider conspiracy, forcing former allies to confront one another while facing threats tied to their own pasts.

Callina Liang stars as Chun-Li, with an expansive cast that includes Joe “Roman Reigns” Anoa’i as Akuma, David Dastmalchian as M. Bison, Cody Rhodes as Guile, Vidyut Jammwal as Dhalsim, Orville Peck as Vega, Olivier Richters as Zangief, Hirooki Goto as E. Honda, Rayna Vallandingham as Juli, Alexander Volkanovski as Joe and Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson as Balrog.

Momoa also serves as one of the film’s producers alongside Mary Parent, Cale Boyter, Takayuki Nakayama and Stefan Makhoul. The project is produced by Legendary Pictures in association with Capcom and marks the third live-action feature based on the celebrated fighting game series.

The road to the screen has changed course more than once. Legendary acquired the live-action rights to Street Fighter in 2023, with directing duo Danny and Michael Philippou originally attached before leaving the project the following year. Sakurai subsequently took over directing duties, working from a screenplay by T.J. Fixman and Sakurai, based on a story by Dalan Musson and Gary Dauberman.

Video game adaptations have enjoyed renewed momentum in cinemas over recent years, though Street Fighter remains one of the medium’s most recognisable names.

The new ‘Blanka vs. Ryu’ special look is available to watch now. Street Fighter arrives exclusively in cinemas this October – in the US on the 16th, other countries/regions are still to be confirmed.

Street Fighter first look