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The trailer for the upcoming “Street Fighter” movie is packed with nods to the iconic video game series, and it even tips its hat to a film that evokes mixed feelings—one that some might wish they’d skipped, while others consider it just another Tuesday. Indeed, there’s an Easter egg that harks back to the polarizing 1994 “Street Fighter” film, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and Raul Julia.
Universal Pictures
In the teaser for the 2026 “Street Fighter” installment, viewers are treated to a flashback detailing the past of Ken Masters (played by Noah Centineo) and Ryu (portrayed by Andrew Koji). Among the rapid-fire scenes is a fleeting snapshot of Ken and Ryu in more joyful times. This image holds hidden significance: the clothing they sport closely resembles the attire worn by their 1994 film counterparts. Moreover, the setting of the photograph suggests it was captured during a fighting tournament.
This setup is reminiscent of a scene from the ’90s movie, where Byron Mann’s Ryu and Damian Chapa’s Ken encounter Sagat (Wes Studi) at a clandestine martial arts tournament in Thailand. Notably, they don the same outfits that echo their 2026 movie representations.
Although the 1994 “Street Fighter” wasn’t a critical darling, it managed to achieve box office success, grossing over $99 million against a $35 million budget. There were ambitions to produce a sequel, envisioning Jean-Claude Van Damme reprising his role as Guile with Dolph Lundgren, his “Universal Soldier” co-star, joining the cast. However, “Street Fighter 2” never came to fruition.
Instead, the franchise attempted a fresh start with the 2009 release of “Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li.” This reboot, however, fell short, making the 1994 film seem like a masterpiece in comparison. Not only did it struggle with poorly executed martial arts scenes, but it also stumbled at the box office, earning just over $12 million on a $50 million budget. This failure effectively shelved any immediate plans for another “Street Fighter” movie.
Street Fighter’s return to the big screen wasn’t simple
Paramount Pictures
While 1994’s “Street Fighter” didn’t receive a lot of love from critics and fans alike, it performed well at the box office, making over $99 million from a $35 million budget. There were plans for a sequel, which would have seen Jean-Claude Van Damme return as Guile and be joined by his “Universal Soldier” co-star Dolph Lundgren. However, “Street Fighter 2” never materialized.
Instead, a reboot in the form of “Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li” was released in 2009. By comparison, this film makes the 1994 one look like “Citizen Kane.” It wasn’t only that it was bad, but it also featured some of the worst choreographed martial arts sequences in movie history. Further, it flopped at the box office, making just over $12 million from a $50 million budget. This all killed the chance of another “Street Fighter” movie for quite some time.
While the live-action series “Street Fighter: Assassin’s Fist” and “Street Fighter: Resurrection” would tide over fans, there wasn’t serious movement on the film front until 2023, when Legendary Pictures picked up the rights. At first, “Bring Her Back” directors Danny and Michael Philippou were attached to direct the film, but they dropped out of the project. “Bad Trip” filmmaker Kitao Sakurai took over the reins, finally releasing the first “Street Fighter” movie in theaters after more than 15 years.