50 Cent confirmed for upcoming ‘Street Fighter’ movie
50 Cent has been cast in the upcoming Street Fighter movie. The rapper/actor joins an all-star cast that includes Jason Momoa (Blanka), Noah Centineo (Ken) and Orville Peck (Vega) in the adaptation of the Capcom video game.
Elsewhere, WWE star Roman Reigns (also known as Joe Anoa’i) will play Akuma, Andrew Koji will star as Ryu, and Callina Liang will take on Chun-Li.
50 is set to play Balrog, “a disgraced boxer who is also the bodyguard of the villain.” His role isn’t half-hearted, either, with The Hollywood Reporter reporting he’s “deep into training for the part and will be doing his own stunts for the picture.”
It was announced earlier this week that 50 was in talks to star in the film. In an Instagram post, he wrote, “No Days off. Let’s work. All roads lead to Shreveport. Boom.” Following confirmation of his role, he shared a screenshot of a headline about him doing his own stunts, confirming his commitment to the cause.
50 most recently starred in Boneyard last year. Previous acting roles have come in Escape Plan, Southpaw, Den of Thieves and Expend4bles.
The rapper has made his love of video games clear over the years, so the casting is a perfect match. Speaking to ESPN, he said, “Video games to me are like a virtual action film experience. To create that environment and intensity that you would see in a good war game or in a motion picture, that’s the key.
“It’s the reason movies like Black Hawk Down and Platoon were hits. It’s more intense when you can put yourself there without putting yourself in danger.”
Street Fighter will be directed by Kitao Sikurai, known for Netflix’s Bad Trip and The Eric Andre Show. The original movie was released in 1994, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and Raúl Juliá.