Adapting classic arcade characters for modern live-action cinema demands an unusual degree of physical commitment. Callina Liang, the twenty-six-year-old Canadian actor set to portray Chun-Li in Paramount Pictures’ upcoming Street Fighter reboot, took the character’s legendary leg strength as an absolute mandate.
Chun-Li debuted in 1991’s Street Fighter II, quickly earning the title of fighting games’ first leading woman. Known for her high-slit qipao and devastating kicking speed, the character features proportions that present an immense challenge for any live-action performer.
Liang tackled the challenge directly through extreme weightlifting and an aggressive bulking diet. Speaking to Empire magazine, she confirmed that the intense preparation dramatically altered her physique before cameras started rolling.
“I strengthened my legs a lot and changed my diet drastically,” Liang revealed in a interview with Empire Magazine. “But it worked. By the end of the shoot, my thighs had grown six-and-a-half centimetres each.”
Twelve Eggs Every Single Day
Achieving that level of rapid muscle growth required a punishing nutrition plan that pushed the actor to physical exhaustion. To hit the necessary protein intake for repairing and building muscle tissue, Liang adhered to a strict schedule of constant eating.
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“When I was bulking, I ate 12 eggs a day,” Liang stated. “Every two hours I had to have a meal, and I was on the verge of throwing up.”
The rigorous calorie surplus fueled hours of daily athletic training alongside co-stars Noah Centineo, who plays Ken Masters, and Andrew Koji, who portrays Ryu. Centineo confirmed that the central cast trained together six days a week for six weeks to prepare for the film’s combat scenes.
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Mastering Three Martial Arts
Because Chun-Li relies heavily on explosive lower-body strikes, Liang designed a martial arts regimen focused entirely on leg precision, speed, and balance.
“Chun-Li is all kicks,” Liang explained.
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To deliver the character’s signature style on screen, Liang trained for two hours every day across three distinct fighting disciplines. She studied Korean taekwondo for high, rapid kicks, Thai Muay Thai to incorporate elbows, knees, and heavy shin strikes, and Chinese wushu to master fluid, acrobatic combinations.
Studying The Video Games In Slow Motion
Beyond gym workouts, Liang conducted detailed research on the source material to mirror the character’s posture and movement. With more than forty iterations across the franchise since Capcom launched the original arcade title in 1987, the actor relied on modern hardware to break down the combat animation frame by frame.
“I downloaded every single version of Street Fighter onto a PS5 and I recorded all of Chun-Li’s moves during fights on my phone in slow-mo, so I could play them back and study them,” Liang said.
The live-action Street Fighter feature arrives in cinemas on 16 October 2026.
