Callina Liang Brings Chun-Li Hype to ‘Street Fighter’ Booth at ComplexCon
ComplexCon turned 10 this year, and it marked the occasion by making its Los Angeles debut. The festival runs October 3 and 4 across the Los Angeles Convention Center and Crypto.com Arena, with more than 300 brands spread over 500,000 square feet of exhibition space. Hiroshi Fujiwara and Playboi Carti serve as artistic directors for the milestone edition. It is also the backdrop for the latest Callina Liang ‘Street Fighter’ ComplexCon moment.
Among the busiest spots on the floor is the ‘Street Fighter‘ movie booth, which leans hard into the games’ arcade roots. Fans can play ‘Street Fighter II’ on retro cabinets, pose with a life-sized recreation of the Bonus Stage car and shop an exclusive collection from Fujiwara’s Fragment Design label, including hoodies, tees and totes. The film itself arrives in theaters and IMAX on October 16.
The star power showed up this weekend, when Callina Liang was photographed at the ‘Street Fighter’ booth at ComplexCon 2026, according to a post Cinethology shared on October 4. The images show the actress posing beside the arcade machines and the booth’s signage, fitting for the face of one of the franchise’s most recognizable fighters.
Event coverage had already teased surprise cast appearances throughout the weekend. Liang plays Chun-Li in the live-action film, so her presence at the booth was a natural fit for a fan-heavy crowd.
Callina Liang photographed at the "Street Fighter" ComplexCon 2026. 📷 https://t.co/6LBLPlgu9R
— Cinethology (@thecinethology) October 4, 2026
Liang was born on May 14, 2000 in Vancouver, British Columbia, and grew up in Beijing, Sydney and Singapore. Her television debut came in 2022 in the ITVX series ‘Tell Me Everything’, and in 2024 she appeared in ‘Presence’ and ‘Bad Genius’. She has also appeared in ‘Foundation’.
She was cast as Chun-Li in June 2025, a move that put her at the center of one of the year’s most anticipated video game adaptations. Fans have followed her closely since, and set photos showing her in the character’s blue outfit, hair buns and spiked wrist cuffs drew plenty of attention online.
Liang reportedly prepared for the part with about 2 hours of daily training in 3 disciplines: Taekwondo, Muay Thai and Wushu. Her focus was on mastering Chun-Li’s kick-heavy style from the games, and she studied the character’s moves in slow motion to recreate them.
She also followed a bulking phase that included 12 eggs a day, and her thighs grew 6.5 centimeters by the end of the shoot. It is the kind of commitment that matches the character’s reputation as one of gaming’s most iconic fighters.
Directed by Kitao Sakurai, the film is set in 1993 and follows estranged fighters Ryu and Ken Masters, played by Andrew Koji and Noah Centineo. Chun-Li recruits them to enter the next World Warrior Tournament, and the fighters soon uncover dark secrets and must confront M. Bison, played by David Dastmalchian.
The ensemble also includes Jason Momoa as Blanka, Cody Rhodes as Guile, 50 Cent as Balrog and Roman Reigns as Akuma. Legendary Pictures and Capcom produced the film, with Paramount Pictures handling distribution, and principal photography took place in Australia from August 18 to November 12, 2025 under the working title ‘Punch’.
The campaign has leaned into interactivity. A teaser poster and trailer arrived at The Game Awards in December 2025, a trailer followed at CinemaCon, and the studios later unveiled what they called the first playable full-length movie trailer on YouTube. A screening in Tokyo kicked off the global World Warrior Tour.
PERFECT! Watch the New Trailer for Street Fighter, hitting theaters everywhere October 16. https://t.co/jAAPf1k9jf
— Street Fighter Movie (@Street_Fighter) September 1, 2026
Reaction online has been mixed but lively. Many fans have praised Liang’s look as Chun-Li and joked they would watch the movie for her alone, while earlier commentary raised questions about casting choices, the script and the direction.
With the premiere just days away, ComplexCon offers an early look at how the film is speaking to its audience. A streetwear collaboration, arcade play and cast appearances all point to a movie aimed squarely at fans of the games. Whether that approach pays off will be clear soon, since early international screenings are scheduled in France on October 14 and several other countries on October 15.
How excited are you for Callina Liang as Chun-Li in Street Fighter?
Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!
