A new Street Fighter clip has been released (via GameFragger.com), and it spotlights a battle between Jason Momoa's Blanka and Andrew Koji as Ryu. The action-packed preview borrows heavily from the games and also features David Dastmalchian as the villainous M. Bison.
CGI has, obviously, been used for Momoa's transformation, and he makes for a convincing Blanka. Ryu, meanwhile, unleashes all manner of lightning-based ki techniques, and from a visual standpoint, Street Fighter definitely impresses.
Mortal Kombat II was released in May and grossed only $129.5 million at the worldwide box office. Still, it was considered a respectable result. Is that enough for Warner Bros. Discovery to greenlight a third chapter? It's hard to say, but fighting fans are eager to see how Street Fighter fares and whether it can launch a new franchise.
As both the trailers and this clip make clear, Street Fighter isn't taking itself too seriously. Whether it can attract general audiences is hard to say, but the majority of fans seem excited.
"There’s no one better to play Blanka, so that’s why I’m doing it," Momoa previously said. "We’ll do what the audience would like to see — practical, CG — we’re gonna do our best. The cast is insane. My son and I play it; it’s the only game I played."
Street Fighter video game director Takayuki Nakayama has praised Ryu, noting, "[Koji] had a lot of respect for the series and the original game. He always had this, 'What would Ryu do?' mentality, and tried to get into his mind."
Set in 1993, estranged Street Fighters Ryu (Andrew Koji) and Ken Masters (Noah Centineo) are thrown back into combat when the mysterious Chun-Li (Callina Liang) recruits them for the next World Warrior Tournament: a brutal clash of fists, fate, and fury. But behind this battle royale lies a deadly conspiracy that forces them to face off against each other and the demons of their past. And if they don’t, it’s "Game Over!"
Helmed by director Kitao Sakurai, Street Fighter is set to bring the battle from the arcade to the big screen with Hadoukens, roundhouses, and all your favourite characters.
The movie stars Noah Centineo as Ken Masters, Andrew Koji as Ryu, Callina Liang as Chun-Li, Joe "Roman Reigns" Anoai as Akuma, David Dastmalchian as M. Bison, Cody Rhodes as Guile, Andrew Schulz as Dan Hibiki, Vidyut Jammwal as Dhalsim, Eric André as Don Sauvage With Curtis ‘50 Cent’ Jackson as Balrog, and Jason Momoa as Blanka.
The supporting cast includes Orville Peck as Vega, Olivier Richters as Zangief, Hirooki Goto as E. Honda, Rayna Vallandingham as Juli, Alexander Volkanovski as Joe, Kyle Mooney as Marvin, and Mel Jarnson as Cammy.
Street Fighter arrives in theaters on October 16.