Ryu and Ken Masters have spent decades as two of the most recognizable rivals in video game history, and their complicated bond appears set to take center stage in the forthcoming “Street Fighter” movie.
Andrew Koji stars as Ryu alongside Noah Centineo as Ken in the live-action adaptation, which is set in 1993. The story finds the once-close fighters estranged before Chun-Li, played by Callina Liang, recruits them for the World Warrior Tournament. What begins as a return to competition soon pulls the pair into a conspiracy that forces them to confront each other and unresolved issues from their past.
The Ryu-Ken dynamic has long been central to the “Street Fighter” franchise. Though often portrayed as rivals, the two share a bond built through training, competition, and mutual respect. The new film appears prepared to push that relationship further by making their conflict part of the larger story rather than simply another tournament matchup.
Director Kitao Sakurai brings the Capcom franchise back to theaters with many of the elements associated with the games, including Hadoukens, roundhouse kicks, and a roster of returning characters.
The cast also includes David Dastmalchian as M. Bison, Jason Momoa as Blanka, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson as Balrog, Cody Rhodes as Guile, and Joe “Roman Reigns” Anoa’i as Akuma.
Whether Ryu and Ken enter the tournament as brothers, rivals, or something in between could become one of the movie’s defining conflicts.
“Street Fighter” is scheduled to open in theaters Oct. 16. Watch the Ken vs. Ryu on YouTube today.
