New set photos from the upcoming Street Fighter movie reveal Callina Liang’s transformation into Chun-Li, drawing major attention from fans on social media.
The images show Liang in a detailed suit, striking dynamic poses in front of a production vehicle marked with the number 3 and her character’s name.
Liang prepared to play Chun-Li with intense workouts: she ate 12 eggs a day and trained two hours every day practicing taekwondo, Muay Thai, and wushu. During an Empire interview, she revealed that the preparation included exercises focusing on Chun-Li’s kicks. As a result of filming, her thighs increased by about 6.5 centimeters (around 2.5 inches). “But it worked,” Liang noted.
Moreover, she researched the character intensively. Liang downloaded all Street Fighter titles to her PlayStation 5 and studied Chun-Li’s movements from game videos frame by frame.
Many fans praised the transformation’s authenticity and said they were excited about the movie. Some commented that Liang’s thighs were not big enough; others defended the authenticity of her proportions and dedication, and even some artists created fan art and cosplays. Online discussions of the film’s first trailer mostly focused on Liang’s acting.
For Callina Liang, the new role will be a great milestone. Previously, Liang appeared in Steven Soderbergh’s 2024 movie Presence and starred in Bad Genius in 2024 before becoming Chun-Li in June 2025.
Chun-Li first appeared in Street Fighter II: The World Warrior in 1991 and became the first popular female playable character in a fighting game. Ming-Na Wen played the character in the 1994 film, followed by Kristin Kreuk in Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li (2009).
In the new movie, set in 1993, estranged fighters Ryu and Ken Masters get back into action after Chun-Li invites them to the World Warrior Tournament. Andrew Koji plays Ryu, Noah Centineo plays Ken, Jason Momoa plays Blanka, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson plays Balrog, Joe “Roman Reigns” Anoa’i plays Akuma, David Dastmalchian plays M. Bison, and Cody Rhodes plays Guile.
Kitao Sakurai directed the new movie, which Legendary Pictures produced in collaboration with Capcom, and Paramount Pictures distributed. Filming started in Australia on August 18, 2025, under the code name Punch, and was rumored to wrap on November 12, 2025. It was supposed to premiere on March 20, 2026, but the release date changed after Legendary’s agreement with Sony ended.
“Street Fighter” opens in U.S. cinemas on October 16, 2025, with Australia getting it on October 15, 2025.
See social media reaction below.
