A new teaser for the upcoming Street Fighter movie has given fans their best look yet at Roman Reigns‘ demonic Akuma. The clip features a powered-up version of the character executing one of the franchise’s most iconic moves.

Roman Reigns’ Akuma shines in new Street Fighter teaser

The teaser shows a tense showdown between Akuma and Ryu, played by Andrew Koji. Reigns’ character, with glowing eyes, radiates menace as he surveys the battlefield. “Where is my true opponent?” Akuma growls, his voice dripping with contempt. The trailer then cuts to Ryu beginning his own power-up sequence before Akuma launches into the air to set up an attack. The moment fans have been waiting for arrives when the footage switches back to Ryu delivering the legendary Hadouken.

While previous teasers and trailers have highlighted characters like Zangief, Guile, and Chun-Li, Akuma has remained largely in the shadows until now. The fearsome fighter, known in Japan as Gouki, made his video game debut in Super Street Fighter II Turbo as a secret character. In the game’s lore, he is the younger brother of Gouken, the master who trained both Ryu and Ken. Akuma’s obsession with Ryu stems from sensing a shared dark power known as the Satsui no Hadou.

Capcom created the character specifically to contrast with both the series’ villain, M. Bison, and the protagonist, Ryu. His overwhelming strength and brooding personality have made him a fan favorite since his introduction, eventually leading to appearances in other fighting games, including Tekken 7.

Now, Street Fighter features an ensemble cast with Noah Centineo as Ken Masters, Callina Liang as Chun-Li, and David Dastmalchian as M. Bison. WWE superstar Cody Rhodes appears as Guile, while Jason Momoa takes on the role of Blanka. Directed by Kitao Sakurai.

Paramount Pictures has scheduled the Street Fighter movie for release on October 16, 2026.