Why Dan Hibiki From Street Fighter (2026) Looks So Familiar

If "Street Fighter" fans were hoping for a more serious cinematic take on the gaming property after Steven E. de Souza's endearingly silly 1994 film adaptation of the video game, Kitao Sakurai's 2026 "Street Fighter" movie likely has them steaming. Though the film features martial arts performers in prominent roles, it's populated with comedic actors like Eric André and Kyle Mooney. If anything, it's more overtly ridiculous than de Souza's movie (which may be why it isn't exactly tearing up the box office).

Take, for instance, Andrew Schulz's portrayal of Dan Hibiki, a "Street Fighter" character who was created as a parody of Ryo Sakazaki and Robert Garcia from the SNK game "Art of Fighting." In Sakurai's movie, Hibiki manages Ken Masters (Noah Centineo), and he's played as an overconfident fighter who wincingly proves he's not an adept combatant at all. And while Schulz is listed seventh in the cast list, he turns out to have a very major role in the narrative thanks to his friendship with Ken. You may find their relationship amusing, or you might wish you were spending a little more time with the film's deep bench of colorful characters.

You might also be wondering where you've seen Schulz before. It's possible you've caught one of his Netflix stand-up comedy specials or perhaps listened to his podcasts "The Brilliant Idiots" (which he co-hosts with Charlamagne Tha God) and "Flagrant." Alternatively, maybe you've heard about one of his insensitive comments about race and/or women, several of which have drawn condemnation.

I am not terribly familiar with Andrew Schulz's work, primarily because his clubhouse brand of comedy is anathema to me. But he's got a big following, and he seems to be becoming increasingly popular with filmmakers (he's been cast in Joseph Kosinski's hotly anticipated "Miami Vice '85" and Gavin O'Connor's sports drama "Running"), so I'm evidently going to have to get used to him. In movies, that is.

Because there's no way I'm going to listen to the comedy of a guy whose racially insensitive humor has drawn the ire of lots of folks (most notably Kendrick Lamar, who dissed Schulz on the track "GNX"). He also joked that his 2024 vote would be based on "who gets the most p****." This was after he interviewed Donald Trump, a man who has bragged about committing sexual assault and was found liable for sexual abuse, on his podcast "Flagrant."

So, it's fair to say I'll never be a fan of Mr. Schulz, but I will lamentably be seeing him at the movies. And if there's going to be a "Street Fighter" sequel, per the film's post-credits sequence, fans will be seeing his Dan Hibiki again as well.