Why Akuma From Street Fighter (2026) Looks So Familiar

The latest attempt to turn "Street Fighter" into a blockbuster movie franchise is here. Hollywood and Capcom have tried (and failed) at various points to turn the beloved fighting games into successful cinematic adaptations before. Some people believe that 1994's "Street Fighter" is actually good, but I think we can all agree that the less said about "Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li," the better. Paramount and Legendary, however, have assembled one heck of a cast for this latest iteration — some of whom should look familiar to audiences.

M. Bison from "Street Fighter" looks familiar, as he's played by beloved character actor David Dastmalchian, and he's the main villain of the movie. However, the third act fully introduces us to Akuma, another villain who has been lurking in the shadows. Heavily cloaked in makeup and CGI, it may be hard to make out which actor is bringing the villain to life, but he's a familiar presence in the world of entertainment.

Akuma is played by Joe Anoa'i, better known as Roman Reigns. He lends his hulking presence to the character, who was first introduced in "Super Street Fighter II Turbo" back in 1994. For Reigns, it's just the latest entry on his resumé as an entertainer.

Roman Reigns is best known to much of the world as one of the WWE's biggest superstars. A former football player, he was signed by the WWE in 2010 and quickly ascended the ranks to become a standout figure within the organization. He's the current World Heavyweight Champion, having headlined many WWE events of the years, and he's part of a rich tradition of athletes-turned-actors.

In more recent years, Reigns has begun experimenting more with acting, though he's still heavily involved with wrestling. His first major Hollywood role came in 2019 when Reigns joined "Hobbs & Shaw" as The Rock's brother, making him part of the "Fast & Furious" franchise. His character was named Mateo, the brother of Dwayne Johnson's Hobbs. That remains his biggest live-action movie role to date.

On the voiceover side of things, Reigns also had a role in last year's "Zootopia 2" as Zebro Zebraxton. Given that "Zootopia 2" crushed it at the box office and became one of the biggest animated hits of all time, that's a good thing to have on his resume. He also lent his voice to "Rumble," the animated wrestling movie that was made in connection with the WWE, which made a lot of sense. In that movie, he voiced Ramarilla.

Some of his other credits include the TV show "Cousins for Life" and the David Spade comedy "The Wrong Missy." As of this writing, Reigns is attached to star in an action movie entitled "Action Force — The Divide."

"Street Fighter" is in theaters now.