After Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter, This Fighting Game Needs a Movie Adaptation

2026 saw the release of not one, but two movies based on an iconic fighting game series: Mortal Kombat II and Street Fighter. Both of these movies attempted to capture their respective franchise’s flavor, whether it was buckets of blood and gore for Mortal Kombat II, the special energy attacks in Street Fighter, or the wide cast of characters that populate both. Naturally, discussion has sprung up about which fighting game franchise should get a similar treatment, and the answer is simple: Soulcalibur.

The Soulcalibur franchise kicked off with Soul Edge in 1996, a fighting game in which eight warriors sought to obtain the legendary sword Soul Edge. Some thought the sword would make them invincible. Others sought it to end wars. But what none of them knew is that Soul Edge is a pure force of evil, and corrupts whatever it touches. The first Soulcalibur game reveals that Soul Edge has a twin: the holy blade SoulCalibur, meant to offset Soul Edge’s darkness.

Already, a Soulcalibur movie is ripe with potential. The idea of an evil sword corrupting all it touches and compelling people to seek it out? That’s a story that has more than a few shades of The Lord of the Rings, and the wide cast of characters also feels Tolkien-esque. From the dread pirate Cervantes to priestess Talim and the strange samurai Yoshimitsu, plenty of characters have their own goals and connections to explore.

Perhaps the most compelling character, and the one a future film should focus on, is Siegfried Schtauffen. A former bandit, Siegfried stumbled upon Soul Edge and was corrupted by its power, becoming the monstrous Nightmare. Nightmare is arguably the most visually compelling character in Soulcalibur: his armor is as demonic as his namesake, with one of the arms being monstrous and corrupted – hinting at how Soul Edge has driven him mad. Future games would split Siegfried and Nightmare into two entities, wielding Soulcalibur and Soul Edge respectively. It’s a dynamic ripe with storytelling potential.

Soulcalibur would also stand out because each character in the game uses a signature weapon. A great example is Cervantes, who wields two swords with a pistol built into the handle of one. The massive Astaroth has an axe the size of his body, which he can swing with dizzying force. And ninja assassin Taki carries twin short swords which she uses with lethal efficiency. While Mortal Kombat focuses on bloodshed and Street Fighter on over the top attacks, Soulcalibur could stand out with expertly crafted sword duels.

Ironically, Soulcalibur almost did become a movie back in the early 2000’s. Legendary martial artist Sammo Hung sought to direct his own adaptation in 2001, and a movie rumored in 2007 never got off the ground. But we all know the old saying: the third time’s the charm. That’s never been more true now that Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter have hit the big screen.

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