Callina Liang Shares Intense Training Routine for Chun-Li in ‘Street Fighter’ – Watch the Video
Video game adaptations hinge on how well the cast can embody characters that fans have cherished for decades, often down to the finest details. In Capcom’s iconic fighting franchise, few characters are as significant as Chun-Li, known for her swift kicks and powerful legs since her debut in 1991.
This legacy places immense pressure on anyone taking on the role in Legendary’s upcoming live-action reboot, particularly since Chun-Li’s identity is deeply rooted in her physicality, not just her personality or backstory. For rising star Callina Liang, securing the role meant facing this challenge head-on right after being cast.
Liang has revealed the lengths she went to in order to physically transform for the role, engaging in months of martial arts training and adhering to a strict diet that reportedly added six and a half centimeters to each of her thighs. This transformation was crucial for her to convincingly portray Chun-Li’s signature kick-based fighting style on screen.
In her own words, Liang described her preparation as rigorous, training for two hours daily while significantly altering her diet and enhancing her leg strength. She mentioned that she focused heavily on strengthening her legs and made drastic dietary changes, as reported by ScreenRant. Her training regimen included Taekwondo, Muay Thai, and wushu, providing her with a solid martial arts foundation to accurately recreate Chun-Li’s moveset.
In addition to her physical transformation, Liang took a meticulous approach to studying the character’s in-game movements. She downloaded every version of ‘Street Fighter’ onto a PlayStation 5 and recorded Chun-Li’s fights in slow motion on her phone, enabling her to analyze and replicate the character’s iconic kicks with precision.
Her commitment to authenticity extended to her eating habits during the bulking phase of her training, where she reportedly consumed up to a dozen eggs daily as part of her strength-building diet. The transformation was so dramatic that it became visibly apparent by the time filming concluded, a notable feat considering Liang’s relatively limited screen experience prior to this project.
Liang’s aspirations for physically demanding roles predate her casting as Chun-Li by at least a year. In a previous profile, she expressed a desire to portray a John Wick-style character, mentioning her wish to ride horses, shoot guns, and kick ass, a sentiment she reiterated in comments reported by Screen Realm, a goal that found an unexpectedly fitting outlet with this role.
Set in 1993, ‘Street Fighter’ follows Ryu and Ken Masters, portrayed by Andrew Koji and Noah Centineo, respectively, as Liang’s Chun-Li recruits them for the World Warrior Tournament. What starts as a straightforward fighting competition soon escalates into a perilous situation, compelling the estranged fighters to confront a deadly conspiracy and their own pasts.
The film features a star-studded supporting cast, including Jason Momoa as Blanka, David Dastmalchian as M. Bison, Cody Rhodes as Guile, Roman Reigns as Akuma, and 50 Cent as Balrog, along with Vidyut Jammwal as Dhalsim and Eric André as Dan Sauvage. Liang had a mere three months between being cast and stepping in front of the cameras, making her preparation timeline particularly intense and demanding.
With ‘Street Fighter’ set to premiere in theaters on October 16, Liang’s transformation into Chun-Li stands out as one of the most physically committed performances leading up to the film’s release. Given the scrutiny that fans of the games apply to adaptations of such iconic characters, her dedication could be the key factor that distinguishes this reboot from previous attempts to bring the franchise to the big screen.
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