Street Fighter (2026): Party City Costumes, Over-the-Top Action, and Why I’m Still Watching

[PopGeeks]

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Street Fighter (2026): A Movie I’m Not Sure How to Feel About The Street Fighter teaser dropped at The Game Awards 2025, and I have to admit: I’m conflicted. On one hand, the trailer is a kinetic, arcade-inspired whirlwind. On the other, it’s a parade of questionable choices that make me want to clutch my nearest Hadoken. Andrew Koji as Ryu looks intense and grounded, channeling the stoic martial artist we’ve always known. Callina Liang’s Chun-Li actually moves like she knows what she’s doing, and Cody Rhodes as Guile has the flat-top and military precision down. So far, so good. Then we get to the stuff that makes me raise an eyebrow. Roman Reigns as Akuma? Sure, he is a popular wrestler related to the Rock, but Akuma isn’t exactly known for his Samoan heritage. Andrew Schulz as Dan Hibiki? I’ll give you one guess how that aligns with the character’s Japanese origins. Jason Momoa as Blanka looks impressively beastly, yet also somehow… bizarre. And the costumes—oh, the costumes. Let me put it bluntly: they look like they were ordered in bulk from Temu, leftover from a bargain-bin Halloween sale. Some of them are so stiff, shiny, or obviously ill-fitting […]
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Street Fighter (2026): Party City Costumes, Over-the-Top Action, and Why I’m Still Watching | PopGeeks.com Forum | Indie Games, Movies, TV, Tabletop & Comics

%%excerpt%% Street Fighter (2026) might be a disaster in disguise. Cheap costumes, strange casting, and over-the-top action leave me conflicted—but I’m cautiously intrigued.

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[Gibletsnearby]

It seemed like they merged Juli with Juni and Falke. She is supposed to be Julie, but she fights more like Falke. When I watched her scenes, I kept waiting for the classic Dolls style, but the staff seemed to mix everything together into one character. I do not mind changes when they have a clear purpose, but this feels like they just borrowed moves without thinking about her identity. It makes me wonder if they plan to simplify the Dolls or if they just did not want to introduce too many new fighters. I hope they explain it better in the full movie.

 

[Kyo]

I had seen better costumes on eBay, honestly. Some outfits in the trailer looked stiff and shiny in a way that took me out of the moment. I know they aimed for game accuracy, but the materials look too cheap. It feels like the actors cannot even move comfortably. If they want viewers to take the world seriously, they need clothes that look worn and lived in, not something freshly unpacked from a bargain listing. I hope they upgrade the designs before the final release.

 

[Maverick]

Hate this! I’m seriously annoyed with all the race-bending they did. Why is Roman Reigns Akuma? Akuma is Japanese. That is his whole vibe. Then they made M. Bison white even though he’s supposed to be Thai. But at the same time they made Cammy Thai when she’s meant to be British. Juli suddenly looks South Asian even though she’s German. And Dan being white just feels wrong because he’s supposed to be a joke character based on Japanese fighting styles. It all feels random, like they just grabbed whoever was available instead of actually matching the characters. I’m not asking for perfect accuracy, but at least try to respect who these fighters are. Right now it just looks messy and lazy.

 

[TripleX]

I feel disappointed. I waited years for a proper Street Fighter movie, and this does not match the tone I wanted. I wanted something with a bit more weight and respect for the characters. Instead, it feels like they leaned on comedy. I know the franchise is colorful, but it can still have emotional moments. I hope the final film has some quiet scenes that show who these fighters are beyond the punches.

 

[Pressure Transmitter]

The costumes honestly look like cheap Halloween outfits. They are way too shiny and stiff, and it makes everything feel fake. I get that they want to be true to the games, but sometimes you have to tone it down so it makes sense in real life. No one walks around dressed like that, and seeing it on screen takes me out of the fight scenes. If they adjusted the materials and fit to look more natural, it would still feel faithful to the game without being ridiculous.

 

[Cody]

Haha, seriously, where did they get these costumes? Party City? Temu? They look so cheap and stiff that I kept thinking someone just grabbed them last minute from a bargain bin. It makes it hard to take any of the fights seriously when the outfits are this distracting.

 

[Kreme of the Yellow Hills]

Next time they try to make a Street Fighter movie, they should just go animated. Live action looks so awkward with all the tacky costumes and weird casting choices. Animation could capture the over-the-top moves and crazy energy without making everything feel fake. It would actually let the fights feel like the games, instead of forcing real people into outfits that don’t work.

 

[СтасSkani]

The only casting I can really get behind is Andrew Koji, and maybe Cody Rhodes. The rest just feels questionable or random. Jason Momoa as Blanka kinda works, I’ll give him that—he looks beastly enough to pull it off. But everyone else… I’m not convinced at all. It just feels like they picked big names instead of matching the characters