Sony and Legendary’s Street Fighter movie seems to be hitting on all cylinders as it rounds out its increasingly stacked cast, and one of the film’s biggest castings took place yesterday afternoon. That’s when it was revealed that David Dastmalchian joined the film in the role of the Street Fighter’s main adversary, M. Bison, and the casting certainly got people talking. While some are sold, others are still on the fence, and others are completely against it. Artist BossLogic decided to spotlight what Dastmalchian could look like as the famous antagonist, and as you can see in the artwork below, it seems to have convinced some franchise fans that the casting could ultimately work.
After the news broke about Dastmalchian playing M. Bison, BossLogic needed some convincing that it could work. That’s when he created a version of Dastmalchian in the iconic M. Bison costume, and it seems to have done the trick.
BossLogic shared the finished artwork of Dastmalchian’s Bison alongside the caption, “Last night I heard the news about David Dastmalchian as M. Bison for the SF movie and had to convince myself #StreetFighter”. The artwork featured Bison’s trademark red costume and hat, and the left eye is fully white as well, much like the video games. You can check it out in the artwork above.
The reactions have already started flying in, and while some still don’t think the casting will work, there are a host of others who feel far better about the casting now that they can visualize it a bit better. It’s hard to argue with just how great Dastmalchian looks in his full Bison makeover, but it remains to be seen if he will actually have a look similar to his iconic suit from the games in the film. That said, his look has changed in the games as well.
The cast of Street Fighter has expanded exponentially in the past few weeks, and the roster has brought in a bevy of fan favorite characters. In addition to Bison, fans will also see Chun-Li, Ryu (Andrew Koji), Ken (Noah Centineo), Blanka (Jason Momoa), Vega (Orville Peck), Dan (Andrew Schulz), Balrog (Curtis ’50 Cent’ Jackson), Akuma (Roman Reigns), and Eric Andre, who will reportedly play the ring announcer.
Hopefully, BossLogic will recreate a few other of the castings in a similar manner to Bison. Fans would love to see what Peck might look like as Vega, for instance, or what Momoa could look like in full Blanka mode. Personally, I would love to see Reigns as Akuma, because it is the Tribal Chief we’re talking about here.
There are a few other heroes that could make it into the film, though you could see other characters saved for a possible sequel. The Street Fighter franchise now includes a multitude of characters that could jump to the big screen, but there are a few that might be perfect fits for this film in particular, and the three that immediately come to mind are Guile, Cammy, and Sagat. These three characters have been stalwarts of the franchise and have been popular characters in many of the games, so even if it’s a cameo, they could make an appearance before the final credits.
What do you think of the live-action Street Fighter cast so far, and what do you think of Dastmalchian’s M. Bison? Let us know in the comments, and you can talk all things Street Fighter and movies with me on Bluesky @knightofoa!
