The Avenue Fighter Film’s Most Obscure Easter Egg Is For True Preventing Recreation Nerds

Forward of its launch later this month, advertising and marketing for the Avenue Fighter film has centered on deep references to the long-running preventing sport sequence. How deep? We already knew that preventing sport legend Justin Wong–alongside Michael “IFC Yipes” Mendoza–was making a cameo as one of many inmates who watches Ryu tackle Blanka in a jail struggle, however even his prisoner costume hides one heck of an Easter egg. Any preventing sport fan will immediately acknowledge it: on Wong’s neck, you may spot the quantity 37, a reference to the legendary Evo Second 37.

In a brand new behind-the-scenes video, Wong detailed the time he spent on the Avenue Fighter film set getting pretend dust and dressing up for his cameo. Should you’re unfamiliar with the importance of the pretend 37 tattoo his character sports activities, it is a deep-cut nod to what many think about one of many best preventing sport comebacks in historical past. Again in 2004, Wong confronted off towards Daigo Umehara, and along with his chosen brawler, Chun-Li, all the way down to only a sliver of well being and backed right into a nook, Wong parried over a dozen assaults from Umehara’s Ken Masters and located the right window to counter the onslaught.

It is a second that has but to be equaled throughout the preventing sport neighborhood, with the clip incomes an obscene variety of views over the many years. That is simply the tip of the iceberg with regards to the accuracy the Avenue Fighter film is aiming for, because the movie embraces the distinctive look of the Capcom video games with its alternative of costumes, particular assaults, and goofy hairstyles that double as the right popcorn bucket. Chun-Li actress Callina Liang even went the additional mile to get into preventing form for the film, specializing in conditioning her thighs to look impressively muscular and memorizing Chun-Li’s varied assaults.

On the audio aspect, composers Leo Birenberg and Zach Robinson (Cobra Kai) have even used basic online game soundtracks for the movie’s rating, together with a brand new model of Guile’s theme that matches every little thing. Avenue Fighter hits theaters on October 16.