
Ever since masked country crooner Orville Peck joined the cast of the upcoming video game adaptation Street Fighter, his thirst trap game has really leveled up.
Fresh off his acclaimed run as the Emcee in Broadway’s Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club, the queer singer-songwriter announced he’d be making his screen acting debut in the upcoming movie from filmmaker Kitao Sakurai (who previously directed the Eric André hidden-camera comedy Bad Trip).
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And while it might come as a surprise that the famously mysterious musician would ditch country for a blockbuster action flick, the role shouldn’t be too much of a stretch: The character he’s playing, Vega, wears a mask, too.
But don’t worry, even though the mask stays on, it looks like pretty much everything else is coming off—at least, if Peck’s Instagram feed of late is any indication.
Production on Street Fighter began in Australia last month, and from set, Peck has unleashed a steady stampede of shirtless pics that show off his bulging muscles and bulging… other things.
Most recently, that included a video of the star in stunt training, wearing nothing more than a hat, his mask (naturally), and some tiny short-shorts, delivering an impressive roundhouse kick. Oh to be that leather paddle!
Other—still shirtless—posts offer a peek at Peck in character, baring Vega’s signature serpentine body tattoos as well as his long, blond braided locks. And that’s all well and good, but let’s be honest: The real draw here is that body-ody-ody, which has always been tight, but really seems to be in fighting shape for the new role.
Hilariously, no one can contain their thirst, with gays flooding the comments section. Newly announced Oh, Mary! star Cheyenne Jackson doesn’t hold back, cracking, “I can see your Orville Pecker,” while DJ daddy Diplo writes “slide five is crazy”—referring to an eyeful of a shot of Peck manspreading that nearly broke the internet when it dropped last month.
When he’s not busy flexing for the selfie cam, Peck’s been getting along swimmingly with the rest of the star-studded Street Fighter ensemble which includes an even-more-buff-than-usual Noah Centineo (To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before), Andrew Koji (Snake Eyes), Callina Liang (Presence), Jason Momoa (Aquaman), David Dastmalchian (Dune), Kyle Mooney (SNL), and comedian Eric André.
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Wait, is Orville Peck’s Street Fighter character Vega gay?
For longtime fans of the classic Capcom fighting game, it’ll be cool to see how the cast brings these iconic characters to life, though of course we’re especially excited to see what Peck does with Vega, who’s long been one of our favorite playable characters.
Why, you ask? Because, c’mon, Vega is so gay!
Vega first appeared as a villainous boss character in the 1991 sequel game Street Fighter II: The World Warrior, and has featured in various iterations since. Said to be from Spain, Vega fights in a style that blends bullfighting techniques with Japanese ninjitsu, rocking Wolverine-like claw blades on one hand and that iconic mask.
ORVILLE PECK is VEGA.#StreetFighterMovie – Only in theaters October 16, 2026.
📷 Gordon Nicholas pic.twitter.com/JgxIVxTgpZ— Street Fighter Movie (@Street_Fighter) September 4, 2025
The elements of Vega’s appearance and story have changed over the years (Peck, for one, is not a Spaniard, so we assume the character’s being slightly altered for the movie), but what’s remained consistent is that he’s characterized as a flamboyant fighter obsessed with his own beauty.
And, you know, not to perpetuate stereotypes or anything, but a flashy pretty-boy with a flair for the dramatic? That all sounds pretty gay to us!
One has to wonder: In casting an openly queer performer like Orville Peck, is there a chance this take on Street Fighter might finally confirm what we’ve long wondered and embrace Vega’s queerness? Or did they just want him for the role because he’s hot and also known for wearing a mask? Chances are we’ll have to wait until the movie hits theaters next year to find out.
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By the way, Peck is notably not the first person to bring Vega to the big screen. Back in ’09, he was featured in the widely panned Street Fighter: The Legend Of Chun-Li, played by Black Eyed Peas member Taboo—so, actually, it seems there’s a tradition of musicians taking on the role, funny enough!
Then there was the 1994 movie adaptation of Street Fighter, which… also got ripped to shreds by critics. Vega shows up here, too, mostly just for some high-intensity fight scenes, and he’s played by Native American actor Jay Tavare who can still get it, by the way.
Notably, Orville Peck has another connection to that original movie: Millennial gays will almost certainly remember that our eternal princess of pop Kylie Minogue made what could be considered her American acting debut as Lieutenant Cammy White. Seriously, the movie is a campy mess, but it’ll always get a pass in our book because it features the “Padam Padam” singer wearing camo pants and lugging around a giant bazooka.
Of course, Peck and Minogue are good friends and collaborators, having previously linked up with Diplo for the disco-country bop “Midnight Ride” from the former’s 2024 duet album Stampede.
And while it looks like the new Street Fighter movie has its own Lt. Cammy—played be Mel Jarnson—what are the chances Peck called up his pal Minogue and convinced her to pop by set to make a little meta cameo? They are filming in her Australian homeland after all!
The new Street Fighter is set to hit theaters on October 16, 2026, when we’ll be seated for Orville Peck’s acting debut—especially if it means another duet with Kylie Minogue!
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