Ma Dong-seok Says He Taught Street Fighter's Leads: 'Watch Who Learned Best'

Ma Dong-seok joins the Street Fighter film in a special appearance as the voice of Gouken, the martial arts master who trained Ryu and Ken Masters, Lotte Entertainment, the film's Korean distributor, confirmed on the 12th. The role is voice-only, and Gouken appears in animated scenes that depict the leads' past.

For years Ma has been known on screen for physical, close-range action, which makes a performance built on voice alone a small change of pace. A representative said the actor's strong screen action presence would show "another side" of him through the role.

Directed by Kitao Sakurai, Street Fighter adapts the Japanese fighting game of the same name. The story follows high-stakes, life-or-death bouts and a larger conspiracy hidden behind them. Andrew Koji plays Ryu and Noah Centineo plays Ken Masters.

Gouken taught the two from childhood, and they grew up close as brothers. A representative said that shared history makes the character important to understanding the relationship between Ryu and Ken, which is why he is placed in the flashback sequences.

Ma also announced the casting himself in a greeting video. "I appeared as a special guest as Gouken, the master of Ryu and Ken. These are the students I taught," he said, adding that viewers should "watch in theaters to see who learned better."

The film opens in Korean theaters on the 14th.