Callina Liang’s Candid Chun-Li Set Photos Catch the Fighter Mid-Leap, Blood-Splattered and Laughing
Callina Liang has spent months pulling back the curtain on the making of ‘Street Fighter‘. From battle-worn costume shots to training clips, the actress has given fans a steady stream of behind-the-scenes content that shows how much work went into becoming Chun-Li.
That strategy has paid off with fans. One of her earlier set photos passed 5.2 million views on X, and the film’s marketing has leaned on the idea that its cast committed fully to the material. Now that ‘Street Fighter’ is in theaters, the images have taken on a new life as a kind of victory lap.
The latest batch is arguably the most charming yet. A new set of candid, film-grain-style behind-the-scenes photos shows Liang’s Chun-Li in two very different moods, caught mid-leap against a bare concrete wall in one frame and laughing in a director’s chair in another. They are loose, playful and unpolished, which is exactly why they are spreading.
Callina Liang for ‘STREET FIGHTER’ https://t.co/asoKl4xlKE
— Complex Pop Culture (@ComplexPop) October 21, 2026
In the first photo, Liang jumps off the ground in Chun-Li’s blue qipao-style costume, her hair pinned into the signature buns, a white sash flaring at her waist and white boots kicked out beneath her. She has a hand raised near her face in a playful pose, and the grainy, off-the-cuff look gives it the feel of a snapshot taken between takes.
The second image is even more telling. Liang sits in a director’s chair marked with the name of the film’s cinematographer, Ken Seng, grinning wide as her costume shows the damage of the shoot. Her arms are streaked with blood makeup, her knees are scraped, and her outfit is scuffed, but she is clearly having a great time.
The contrast is the whole appeal. Chun-Li on screen is a grounded, vengeance-driven fighter, and Liang has said that she and director Kitao Sakurai worked to find that version of the character. The photos show the person behind the performance, bruised and filthy and laughing.
It fits the tone of her earlier posts, which included a shot of her lying on the floor amid broken bricks and crew members, and another beside a trailer marked “3. CHUN-LI” captioned with a blunt line about not having time to photoshop. Fans have responded warmly to the lack of polish.
The scrapes in those photos are earned. Liang trained for 2 hours a day in taekwondo, Muay Thai and wushu, ramped up to 4 hours daily for 6 weeks before the action cameras rolled, and followed a bulking diet that reportedly included 12 eggs a day. She also studied the games on a PlayStation 5, recording Chun-Li’s moves in slow motion to learn them.
The production itself was physical. ‘Street Fighter’ shot in Sydney, where much of the world, including M. Bison’s office, was physically built, and Liang has said the costume was the last one to come together on set. For the signature spinning bird kick, a former Cirque du Soleil performer reportedly helped with harnesses and rigs.
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
The photos arrive as the movie works to find its footing. ‘Street Fighter’ opened at No. 1 with $31 million from 3,575 theaters and added $20.1 million internationally for a $51.1 million worldwide start. Reviews have been mixed, with praise for the cast, fight scenes and stylish animated sequences, while the script has drawn criticism, and it earned a B- CinemaScore.
Even so, Liang’s Chun-Li has been one of the film’s brighter spots. A cast that clearly committed to the material gives audiences something to appreciate even when opinions on the movie itself are divided, and the set photos have been a major part of that goodwill.
For an actress who rose through ‘Tell Me Everything’, ‘Bad Genius’ and Steven Soderbergh’s ‘Presence’, the ‘Street Fighter’ campaign has been a major step up. Fashion shoots, press tour looks and now these candid set snapshots have all helped build a public image that mixes fierce and funny.
Whether or not the film becomes a hit, the pictures show a performer who is enjoying the ride. In a franchise that has often struggled to win over fans, that joy is a valuable asset.
Which of Callina Liang’s latest Street Fighter set photos would you pick?
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