UPDATE on June 24: 50 Cent confirmed this report.
The cast of Street Fighter continues to expand as sources tell Nexus Point News that Curtis Jackson is in talks to portray Balrog.
Jackson, better known as 50 Cent, will potentially portray the disgraced boxer, Balrog, who first made his debut in Street Fighter II: The World Warrior. Hailing from the slums of Las Vegas, Nevada. he rose through the ranks as a ruthless prizefighter that clawed his way to fame with sheer brutality and determination. However, Balrog’s greed and overall sadistic nature ultimately led him down a dark path of cheating and dirty tactics in the ring which lead to severe injuries and even death among his opponents, along with a steadfast ban from the world of professional boxing. This fall from grace made him a perfect recruit for the villainous terrorist organization Shadaloo, where he became the brutal enforcer of its leader, M. Bison.
The multi-hyphenate rapper-actor-producer, began his music career in 1996 and released his debut studio album Get Rich or Die Tryin’ in 2003. As an actor, he made his debut in the film of the same name of his album Get Rich or Die Tryin’ which incorporated elements of his life. In addition, he’s best known for his roles in Home of the Brave, Righteous Kill, and most notably, Power, which he executive produces. Jackson has gone on to produce all the spin offs of the Power universe.
Street Fighter is a series of fighting games, with the first installment being released in 1987. The games center around a global fighting tournament organized by M. Bison, the leader of the evil organization Shadaloo. The latest installment in the game, Street Fighter 6, was released in 2023 and won “Best Fighting Game” at the 2023 Game Awards.
Street Fighter is set to be directed by Kitao Sakurai (Bad Trip) and the latest draft was written by Dalan Musson (Captain America: Brave New World). Noah Centineo and Andrew Koji are set to star as Ken and Ryu, respectively. Jason Momoa will portray Blanka, Roman Reigns will portray Akuma, and Orville Peck will portray Vega. Danny and Michael Philippou were originally attached to direct the film before falling off. Legendary Pictures is developing the film with Capcom and is set to be released by Sony Pictures. The film was recently removed from Sony’s release schedule and is currently undated.
