If you stuck around for the Street Fighter credits, you might have noticed an unexpected name among the special thanks: Jordan Peele. Yes, the filmmaker behind Get Out, Us and Nope apparently had something to do with one of the stranger entries on the 2026 movie schedule, the latest big-screen adaptation of Capcom's fighting game franchise. And since this movie is full of people punching each other and occasionally throwing fireballs, I was curious how Peele ended up in the mix.
As it turns out, Peele played a small but interesting role before director Kitao Sakurai even landed the job. In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Sakurai said he reached out to the Oscar-winning filmmaker while developing his pitch. Peele also shared thoughts about the relationship at the center of it all. According to Sakurai:
During the pitching phase, when I was trying to get the movie, I consulted with Jordan. He gave some really good advice. There’s very archetypal dynamics between Ken and Ryu, and comedy can flow from that. So he was a really good sounding board for those dynamics between the two main characters.
That's a pretty fascinating person to have in your corner while trying to convince a studio to let you make Street Fighter. Especially since the advice wasn't about adding horror or some secret twist. Peele helped Sakurai think through the comedic possibilities of Ken and Ryu's friendship, which is a huge part of the movie.
Set in 1993, the film follows estranged fighters Ryu (Andrew Koji) and Ken Masters (Noah Centineo) as they're pulled back together for another tournament. Chun-Li (Callina Liang) recruits them, and naturally, there's a larger conspiracy brewing behind all the fighting. But the complicated bond between Ken and Ryu gives the story its emotional backbone, even when things get completely ridiculous.
Peele's involvement makes more sense if you remember his career didn't start with terrifying moviegoing experiences. Long before Get Out, he was making audiences laugh alongside Keegan-Michael Key on Key & Peele, which ended after five seasons in 2015. Sakurai isn't exactly a stranger to offbeat comedy, having worked on The Eric Andre Show and directed Bad Trip. I can see why the two would have plenty to talk about.
So how did they know each other? Apparently, Hollywood's social circles are smaller than you'd think, and they met through a mutual friend and a supper club. Sakurai explained:
Yeah, we have mutual friends. John Francis Daley is our good mutual friend, and so we know each other socially. There’s a supper club that I cook at a lot, and he’s always around. So I've bent his ear a few times.
I'm not sure what's more entertaining: learning Peele helped shape the dynamic between two iconic video game fighters or imagining Sakurai casually talking Street Fighter over dinner. Either way, that's a pretty fun origin story for a special thanks credit.
Of course, this doesn't mean Peele secretly wrote the movie or was involved throughout production. Sakurai described him as a sounding board during the pitching stage, and that's an important distinction. The finished film has drawn mixed reviews, with some critics enjoying its gleefully silly energy while others weren't sold on the jokes. Still, I like knowing Jordan Peele helped Sakurai find that tone.
Street Fighter is now playing in theaters, so check your local listings. And next time you head to the theater, stay until the credits start rolling, because you never know whose name might pop up. Do yourself a favor and also keep an eye on news regarding upcoming video game adaptations.
