Street Fighter movie writer Justin Marks has said he picked Chun-Li as the focus because films are about unexpected heroes, and not so he could have a "blatantly sexualised female lead".
He acknowledges that Ryu and Ken are "the muscle" of the familiar series, but says Chun-Li is the "heart and soul" because her father was taken from her; she is the little girl that everyone wrote off.
The part of Chun-Li will be played by lovely Smallville [and Edgemont - Dep Ed] star Kristin Kreuk, but Justin Marks sees her in more of a Ripley from Aliens role than any-of-them from Dead or Alive.