7 Things I Need To See In A Potential Street Fighter Sequel

Published Oct 17, 2026, 9:20 AM EDT

Brandon Zachary is a Lead Writer for Screen Rant's New Movie Team. He also writes or has written for Comicbook.com, CBR, That Hashtag Show, Just Watch, and TVBrittanyF. Brandon is an Emerging Screenwriters Semi-Finalist, co-writer of a Screencraft Quarter-Finalist, a seasoned on-screen interviewer, and a MASSIVE nerd. You can reach him at bs.zachary@gmail.com

The following contains spoilers for Street FighterStreet Fighter is very much setting up a sequel, leaving plenty of big elements that fans are already dying to see in a follow-up. The film takes a lot of cues from the overarching lore of the video game series, giving the movie and the characters a lot of personality. Street Fighter's ending is rather blunt, teasing the next mission for the heroes.

With Akuma captured by M. Bison and the heroes united against him, a sequel could do a lot of things. Some of them would be to lean harder into popular elements from films and the games. Others could address criticisms of the film in terms of plotting and tension. Here are the seven things we really hope we see in a future sequel to Street Fighter.

A Sequel Needs More Guile And Dhalsim

Although they don't get much time on-screen, Street Fighter teases out a fun dynamic between Guile and Dhalsim that deserves more attention in a sequel. The pair are implied to be longstanding buddies who have worked together in the past in the name of global good, making them a natural contrast to both rogue Interpol operative Chin-Li and the prickly Ryu/Ken duo.

Their distinct appearances and personalities lend themselves well to a group, especially if Dhalsim continues to teach Ken about inner peace and Guile provides more comic relief. It would be a good chance to actually see the two fighters in action, as they only had a few appearances in the film and brief showcases for their fighting prowess.

They are also quickly established as some of the comic highlights of the movie, with plenty of chances in the future sequel to amplify that tenor. The ending of Street Fighter positions them as more proactive figures in the upcoming fight against M. Bison, giving them an ideal role to play in any subsequent sequel.

I'd Love For Street Fighter 2 To Actually Show Off Zangief

A lot of the relatively minor fighters in the story don't get much time to shine in Street Fighter, something the sequel should address. One of the ones who feels especially underutilized is Olivier Richters as Zangief. The massive brawler gets one of the sillier beats in the film when he takes on Ken in an impromptu fight. However, that’s about it for the character in the film.

A greater emphasis on the character could deliver some good comedy, especially if they play up his goofier elements that have been played up in previous adaptations. He could even be a goofy wildcard in the battle against M. Bison, the sort of ally who could complicate issues instead of just fixing them. Zangief is one of the more iconic characters in the series and deserves a bit more attention.

More Grounded Fights Could Improve Street Fighter 2

One of the most frustrating things in Street Fighter is the relative lack of on-screen fights. While the film does give audiences plenty of battles, much of the World Warrior Tournament occurs off-screen. While Ryu and Ken do get some good face-offs, others like Guile and Zangief are largely relegated to off-screen face-offs.

Some of the fights, like Ryu's battle with Blanka, feel overly reliant on CGI instead of the more compelling and confident choreography that makes up much of the film. A sequel should lean more into those actual fights, which is one of the main draws of the franchise. Even if characters like Akuma and M. Bison are still empowered, there has to be a way to balance the VFX better with the physical choreography.

Higher Stakes Could Improve Street Fighter's Tension

One of the things that does undermine some of the narrative tension in Street Fighter is the relatively scaled-back tension for fight scenes. Due to the very cartoonish qualities of the fights in the film, there really isn't a lot of tension in the battles. The biggest deaths in the film are Gouken and Joe, both at the hands of Akuma.

Given that the film doesn’t really spend time with either of them as characters, these moments don't really come with tension and feel more like plot devices than actual character demise. Actually killing off characters they'd developed might be a good way to do that, but even just making the battles feel risky on some level would help. That kind of focus could be the key to elevating the tension on a character level.

Cammy’s Full Arc Could Drive Street Fighter 2

Mel Jarnson's Cammy is a vampy villain in Street Fighter, serving as one of Bison's more distinct henchmen. This is reflective of some elements of her game's backstory, where she worked as an ally of M. Bison but became a heroic figure after suffering from amnesia. Even after her memories are restored (and it's revealed she's actually the result of a cloning program), Cammi ends up a heroic figure in the overarching storyline.

The sequel could play with that idea, either by having her lose her memory or go “undercover” and find that she prefers fighting with the heroes. It would be a fun way to lean into her antagonism with Chun-Li in the first film and make them reluctant allies in the second. It could give Cammy a redemption arc that adds a bit of complexity to her relatively one-dimensional characterization in this film.

The Power Of Nothingness Could Be Crucial To Street Fighter 2

One of the more impressive power boosts in the Street Fighter game lore is known as the Power of Nothingness. The ability is unlocked when someone is capable of clearing their minds and fully embracing the spirit of combat. This allows them to achieve an almost zen-like form.

Serving as a direct contrast to the Satsui no Hado, Ryu's eventual mastery of this form is crucial to his overarching storyline in the games. Given the emphasis placed on the dangerous Satsui no Hado in the first film, it wouldn't be surprising to see the character start striving to master that ability to combat Akuma. It could even prove to be a crucial element of any prospective sequel.

An Actual Ending Would Be Ideal For Street Fighter 2

One of the most frustrating elements of Street Fighter is the film’s overall lack of a climax. The movie instead ends on a major cliffhanger, with M. Bison having captured Akuma and the heroes united to chase after him. It’s frustrating because there are no confirmed plans for a sequel, meaning fans might be left disappointed if it stumbles and doesn’t get a formal follow-up.

Ideally, a sequel will carry the plot forward to a satisfying place and can actually have an ending, which could allow it to work on its own. It can even set up other movies and stories, but it needs to feel like a self-contained story in its own right. Otherwise, it’ll be repeating Street Fighter’s single biggest mistake.

Street Fighter