Street Fighter movie sequel is already in the works — if the first one earns it

Director Kitao Sakurai is already writing a sequel to his upcoming Street Fighter film, but whether it actually gets made hinges entirely on how the first movie performs at the box office. Street Fighter hits theaters on October 16, 2026.

Sakurai confirmed the development in an interview with MovieWeb, saying the team has ideas and is actively writing, but stopped short of making any firm promises. "It's something that we're thinking about and developing," he said. "I don't want to say anything that locks us in. It also kind of depends on how people react to this one, and whether they support this vision of the story. We definitely have a lot of ideas, and we're writing currently, but I wouldn't want to make any promises one way or the other about what exactly we're gonna do." The cast has also confirmed that strong audience turnout is essential to justify a follow-up. The first film follows Ryu and Ken after the events of the second World Warrior Tournament, and a sequel would continue their story from there.

One detail already fueling sequel speculation: Sagat has been completely absent from all trailers and marketing materials, with no casting announcement made for the character. Fans are already connecting the dots and wondering whether a second film might center on him. The movie also features animated sequences exploring Ryu and Ken's backstory with their mentor Gouken and his brother Akuma — early community reaction to the art style and animation has been positive. David Dastmalchian plays M. Bison and has spoken about studying real-life cult leaders to prepare for the role. Street Fighter is the second major Capcom film adaptation following Zach Cregger's Resident Evil, which landed well with both critics and general audiences — though Cregger has publicly said he will "never" work on a franchise film again, making a sequel to that one unlikely.

The pressure is squarely on opening weekend and beyond. Sakurai and the cast are clearly invested in building a larger universe, but the Street Fighter film needs to prove there's an audience willing to show up before any sequel moves forward.