Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes has given fans a preview of what they can expect from his role as Guile in the upcoming “Street Fighter” movie. Speaking on The Pat McAfee Show, Rhodes praised the film’s director and shared his excitement for the project, promising that it will be a love letter to fans of the iconic video game franchise.
He also revealed that he was adamant about performing his own stunts for the role, a challenge that the athletic superstar was more than ready to take on. The film, produced by Paramount Pictures, is scheduled for release on October 16, 2026.
Rhodes explained that the physicality of the Guile character came naturally to him and that he was determined to be as hands-on as possible with the action sequences. “I was adamant that anything that’s a stunt, I’m gonna do it. If that requires me being on these wires, I wanna do it,” he said. He spoke highly of the film’s stunt coordinator, “JV,” and the entire stunt team, who gave him the opportunity to perform several of his own stunts.
Rhodes then teased the film’s commitment to honoring its source material. “If you ever played the game, especially Street Fighter II — what he’s done as the director is unbelievable. It’s fan service. You got Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li, the real final boss in that game, it’s just a wonderful cast.”
That “wonderful cast” also includes one of Rhodes’ greatest on-screen rivals, Roman Reigns, who is set to play Akuma. The film also features NJPW star Hirooki Goto as E. Honda and Hollywood megastar Jason Momoa as Blanka. The character of Guile, an American Air Force pilot seeking to avenge the death of his friend Charlie at the hands of M. Bison, first debuted in the classic 1991 video game Street Fighter II and has been one of the most popular characters in the franchise ever since. Jean-Claude Van Damme famously played the role in the 1994 live-action film.
Cody Rhodes’ involvement in the “Street Fighter” film is the latest step in his crossover to the mainstream. While he is currently focused on his reign as the Undisputed WWE Champion and his upcoming champion vs. champion match against Seth Rollins at Crown Jewel, his role in this major Hollywood blockbuster may bring even more eyes to the WWE product.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article, please credit The Pat McAfee Show with an h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
