Roman Reigns finally has a full moment as Akuma in the new Street Fighter movie footage. The short official clip shows him facing Andrew Koji's Ryu, with glowing eyes, prayer beads, and the heavy build fans expect from one of the games' most dangerous fighters.
The footage is brief, but it answers the first question around the casting: Reigns looks convincing in the role. He does not appear in wrestling gear or move like he is entering a WWE match. The costume, hair, and quiet delivery push him closer to Akuma's game design while still letting his size do much of the work.
The clip also gives Ryu a clear response. Akuma calls for a worthy opponent, Ryu begins to gather energy, and the scene ends with a Hadouken. It is a direct piece of fan service, but it also shows that the movie is willing to use the powers and special moves that define Street Fighter rather than hiding them for most of the runtime.
For anyone who has not played the games, the Hadouken is Ryu's most famous attack: a blast of energy fired from his hands. Seeing it here may sound like a small detail, but older Street Fighter adaptations often struggled to make the characters' abilities look natural in live action. This clip commits to the game version immediately.
Akuma Is More Than a Large Opponent
Casual viewers may know Akuma as the red-eyed fighter who appears near the end of a roster. In the games, he is connected to Ryu's fighting style and represents what can happen when that power is used without restraint. He searches for strong opponents and treats combat as a test that can end in death.
That history gives Reigns more to play than physical strength. Akuma rarely needs a long speech, but he should feel focused and dangerous whenever he enters a scene. Reigns already understands how to control attention with posture and silence. The movie has to turn those skills into a character instead of relying on his wrestling reputation.
Akuma is also different from M. Bison, the franchise's more traditional villain. He is not usually interested in ruling the world or commanding an army. He wants to prove his strength against the best fighters he can find. A movie can use him as a dangerous obstacle without making him the person behind every part of the plot.
Reigns also has a useful connection to the line used in the promo. The official account tells viewers to acknowledge Akuma, borrowing the word that has followed Reigns through his WWE run. It is an easy way to bring wrestling fans into the conversation, but the finished performance still needs to feel like Akuma rather than Roman Reigns wearing a costume.
The Clip Looks Right, but It Is Still Only a Few Seconds
A strong image can sell the casting without proving the acting. Reigns has only a small amount of dialogue here, and the editing moves quickly to Ryu's attack. We still do not know how much screen time Akuma has, how he enters the story, or whether the movie gives his connection to Ryu enough room.
Street Fighter already has a very large cast. Noah Centineo plays Ken, Callina Liang is Chun-Li, Jason Momoa is Blanka, Cody Rhodes is Guile, and David Dastmalchian is M. Bison. The official cast list also includes 50 Cent as Balrog and several other familiar fighters. That gives fans plenty to recognize, but it creates a real risk that some characters will only receive a quick entrance and one special move.
Akuma does not need to dominate the whole movie, but his meeting with Ryu should change something. If the fight exists only to show a Hadouken and bring Reigns into the trailer, fans will notice. If it forces Ryu to confront the darker side of his own power, the scene can carry weight even with limited screen time.
The new Akuma footage is still a good sign. It shows a recognizable costume, a serious version of Reigns, and a fight with Ryu that looks like Street Fighter. None of that guarantees the movie will handle Akuma well, but it is more useful than another cast poster. Viewers can finally judge the character in motion.
Street Fighter opens in theaters on October 16, 2026. The movie now has to show that its many wrestlers, actors, comedians, and game characters belong in the same story. Did this clip convince you that Roman Reigns is the right Akuma?
