Street Fighter Live-Action Movie Targets 2026 As Noah Centineo Shows Ken Physique
Instagram preview highlights the actor’s training as the cast locks in with Andrew Koji, Jason Momoa, and David Dastmalchian.
Summary
- Noah Centineo shows off his new Ken physique for the live-action Street Fighter movie, hitting theaters in 2026.
- The cast includes Andrew Koji as Ryu, Jason Momoa as Blanka, and David Dastmalchian as M. Bison.
- Directed by Kitao Sakurai and produced by Legendary, with Paramount circling distribution for a possible franchise.
Noah Centineo just gave Ken fans a progress report. The The Recruit and Black Adam actor posted an Instagram shot showing the gym results he’s bringing to Capcom’s sunshine blond (see below). Blond hair is still in play from the set. The look tracks.
Ken is a vibe. He smiles through rival drama, throws fireballs, and sells the fantasy of a guy who trains hard and still finds time for a perfect haircut. Centineo seems to get it. The physique says he’s taking the part seriously.
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The Ken update
Centineo is playing Ken in the live-action Street Fighter film slated for 2026. He is one of the story’s anchors alongside Ryu. He also has a separate high-profile role cooking: a young John Rambo in an origin film about Sylvester Stallone’s battle-scarred soldier.
There are no lengthy captions or speeches from Centineo in the source text. We only have the image and the timing. The message is loud enough without words.
Ken is a deceptively tough assignment. You have to sell clean karate mechanics, a believable rivalry with Ryu, and that golden-boy charisma. Bulk helps, but stance, footwork, and speed matter more on camera.
Who is steering this thing
Kitao Sakurai is directing the new Street Fighter movie. You might know him from Twisted Metal. He took the chair after Danny and Michael Philippou left the project.
Dalan Musson wrote the latest script draft. His recent credit is Captain America: Brave New World. That tells you the production wants punchy action with room for character beats.
The handoff from the Philippou brothers to Sakurai suggests a reset of tone and process, which happens on big adaptations all the time. What matters is a clear plan for fights, geography, and character intros. Fighting games adapt cleanly when directors treat arenas like mini set-pieces with a story spine.
The roster
The casting board is busy, and some choices are inspired.
- Andrew Koji is Ryu. He has the martial background and screen presence to carry the stoic half of the duo.
- Noah Centineo is Ken. Sunshine, swagger, and now the gym receipts.
- David Dastmalchian is M. Bison. Great pick if you want a villain who can be charming and unnerving without cartooning it.
- Jason Momoa is Blanka. The Brazilian wild man needs physical dominance and a heart under the green. Momoa can sell both.
Two WWE heavy hitters are in the mix.
- Roman Reigns will be Akuma.
- Cody Rhodes will be Guile. The hair alone is a test of faith and hair gel.
- Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson is Balrog.
- Callina Liang is Chun-Li.
- Vidyut Jammwal is Dhalsim.
- Orville Peck is Vega.
- Andrew Schultz is Dan Hibiki.
The lineup covers power, technique, and comic relief. It reads like a tournament bracket with personality.
Ensemble fighters live and die by choreography clarity. Give every character a signature beat that translates from the games. Fireballs, flash kicks, rolling attacks, spinning birds, stretchy counters, claw flourishes. You know the list.
Release plans, rights, and the money question
The film targets a 2026 release. There is no distributor attached in the original brief. Legendary is producing.
Paramount Pictures is kicking the tires. The studio wants a franchise if it bites. That means marketing push, sequel slots, and probably a TV content plan if the numbers land.
This is a classic IP calculus. Games with massive global awareness are catnip for studios, and Street Fighter has the name power. The trick is avoiding the generic action smoothie that forgets the fighting game’s rhythm.
A good baseline: respect spacing, telegraph setups, and cut so the audience feels the hit windows. Short takes, readable impacts, and smart wire use. Overcutting makes hadokens feel like light bulbs. Keep the illusions physical where possible.
Where Street Fighter stands in games
The series started in 1987 and has sold more than 50 million units worldwide. Generations learned quarter circles on it. Arcades, living rooms, online lobbies. The moveset is cultural muscle memory.
Street Fighter 6 launched on June 2, 2023. It put Ryu, Ken, and Chun-Li back on the front line with a modern suite of systems and strong art direction. The competitive scene embraced it, and the casual player base found plenty to chew on.
Game history matters for a film like this. The audience already knows the characters, moves, and rivalries. The job is not exposition overload. The job is payoff.
The last time Hollywood tried this
The franchise’s big-screen past is rocky. Street Fighter: The Last Stand came out in 1994 with Jean-Claude Van Damme. Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li followed in 2009 with Michael Clarke Duncan among the cast.
Both struggled at the box office. They also struggled with tone and fight language. Earnest homages are fine, but you still need fights that communicate intention and timing.
A modern production can thread that needle. Keep the world stylized, not noisy. Prioritize impact over quips. Then let the characters be themselves.
What to watch as cameras roll
Centineo’s Ken will be judged on three things.
- Chemistry with Andrew Koji’s Ryu.
- A clean, readable fighting style that nods to karate fundamentals.
- A believable arc that pushes him past rich-boy complacency.
For Ryu, the bar is spiritual focus without sleepwalking. For Bison, it is menace that feels controlled. For Blanka, it is physical storytelling that keeps the character human.
Chun-Li and Guile carry military and Interpol energy. Fans want the iconic kicks and the flat-top silhouette delivered with conviction. Akuma needs weight and silence. Dan needs timing.
If the film leans into tournament structure, use it like a ladder. If the plot goes globe-trotting, keep the fights geographic and distinct. Thailand is not Brazil is not Metro City. That variety sells the travel.
So
Centineo looks ready for Ken. The cast is bold, the director knows action, and Legendary wants a 2026 win. Paramount sniffing around tells you the industry sees franchise potential.
The brand is bigger than any single actor. Still, the right Ken and Ryu can carry a first film and earn a sequel. Deliver crisp fights, recognizable moves, and a sense of fun, and the audience will show up.
We will watch for a trailer window, firm distributor news, and any training reels the cast wants to share. Until then, the Instagram check-in does its job. Ken looks like Ken. That is the first hurdle cleared.
The creator explains DS2’s ending caps the first two games, adds he is not planning DS3 now, and hopes someone at Kojima Productions builds it.
