Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson is taking it to the street. The rapper-turned-actor has officially joined the cast of Street Fighter, Legendary Entertainment’s live-action adaptation of the iconic Capcom video game.
Jackson will play Balrog, the disgraced boxer-turned-bodyguard of M. Bison, and according to sources, he’s deeply immersed in training to ensure the character feels as authentic as possible.
Jackson has been posting videos on Instagram that show the transformation firsthand. Having slimmed down and committed to a strict training regimen, he’s preparing not just to look the part but to perform his own stunts.
“I don’t expect you to understand my level of discipline but watch it, it’s entertaining,” he captioned one video. “Street Fighter coming soon, then Street Fighter II Balrog. @50centaction All roads lead to Shreveport.”
In another post, he doubled down on the grind:
“Work hard when they hardly working, and they will be surprised at the outcome. I hit a 🥷🏾 he gonna see a white light and hear Jesus say come to me child. LOL Street Fighter coming soon. @50centaction.”
And 50 won’t be alone in the fight. Street Fighter boasts a colorful and diverse roster:
- Jason Momoa as Blanka
- Noah Centineo as Ken Masters
- Andrew Koji as Ryu
- Callina Liang as Chun-Li
- Joe “Roman Reigns” Anoa’i as Akuma
- Orville Peck as Vega
- David Dastmalchian as M. Bison
- Cody Rhodes as Guile
- Eric André as Don Sauvage
- Vidyut Jammwal as Dhalsim
- Olivier Richters as Zangief
- Hirooki Goto as E. Honda
- Plus a roster of rising talent including Mel Jarnson as Cammy and Rayna Vallandingham as Juli
First debuting as an arcade game in 1987, Street Fighter grew into one of the most influential fighting game franchises ever, peaking with 1991’s Street Fighter II. Its legacy has been revisited on screen before, with the 1994 Jean-Claude Van Damme-led film and 2009’s Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li, but neither left a lasting impact.
This new adaptation, set in 1993, aims to honor the source material while introducing a darker, more cinematic spin. According to the official synopsis, estranged warriors Ryu and Ken are pulled back into combat when Chun-Li recruits them for the next World Warrior Tournament. Beneath the battle, however, lies a conspiracy that forces them to confront not only their rivals but their own demons—because if they don’t, it’s “game over.”
The film is directed by Kitao Sakurai (The Eric André Show, Bad Trip) and is currently filming in Australia with IMAX cameras. Legendary is co-developing and producing alongside Capcom, with Paramount Pictures set to release the film worldwide on October 16, 2026.
