Andrew Schulz Explains His Viral Mortal Kombat Moment at The Game Awards

Andrew Schulz explained the viral moment in which he called out the cast of Mortal Kombat II, saying he hopes it sparks a "Barbenheimer" moment and a possible crossover between the two fighting game franchises.

At the 2025 Game Awards, actor, comedian, and podcast host Andrew Schulz infamously called out the cast of the second Mortal Kombat movie while promoting Street Fighter, in which he plays Dan Hibiki.

"We're not the only game that appreciates your support," Schulz said. "There's another game. They also flew from all over the world to be here because they appreciate you. So leave it to the entire cast of Mortal Kombat 2!"

It seems that the cast did not actually show up for the acting awards that Schulz used for his role on stage. He continued: I was joking. "They didn't come. They don't care about you, they only care about the money, okay? We care about the money and you! Street Fighter forever!"

Street Fighter Cast Throws Big Shots at Mortal Kombat Movie Cast at #TheGameAwards! Oh it's clear! 😤

- David unCAGEDgamez (@unCAGEDgamez) December 12, 2025

Although his fellow cast members explained that he was only joking, Schulz's message went viral and many fans felt it was an unfriendly attack on a fighting game adaptation. Even actor Louis Tan, who starred in the films, spoke about the ordeal, saying that Schulz was "the last person who should be saying bad things in that scene."

I had the chance to ask Schulz about the joke before the release of Street Fighter - and Schulz told me that he was just trying to fan the flames of a good-natured rivalry with Mortal Kombat II's classic pro-wrestling cast.

"Guys, I thought we were in this together! In the wrestling business, that's called 'work,' right?" Sholes began.

"Yeah, you were working, they were shooting," confirmed Cody Rhodes.

"I read what was on the petition," Schulz continued. "... I thought we were going to turn into Barbenheimer. You know, a high tide lifts all boats."

"But you ignored them," Eric Andre interjected.

"I made them a lot of noise," Schulz replied.

“Here's a follow-up,” Rhodes said, looking at me. Do you have a Mortal Kombat tattoo?

(I feel the need to explain; you may have seen the viral clip of the trio asking me to show them M. Beason's tattoo in this same interview. If not, you can watch it below.)

"Exactly," Schulz said, to which Cody replied that he was "not trying to fire another shot."

"I've been waiting for thanks!" Schulz joked when asked about the controversy his comments had sparked online. “You know, we used our platform to promote our movie to promote another movie! I feel that is very generous!"

Since we're on the subject of Mortal Kombat, I had to bring up the fact that series creator Ed Boone recently expressed interest in a possible crossover with Street Fighter. When asked if they'd be willing to star in a crossover movie with the franchise, Schulz told me that's basically what he's doing with his viral promo at The Game Awards.

That's what we were trying to do at [The Game Awards]! Schulz said. "We're trying to set this thing up!"

"That's what we were trying to do," Cody Rhodes added.

Eric Andre interjected, "Tell them I know Nob Saibat, [Ed Boone and John Tobias] names backwards." "... But a crossover? A Flynn Stones/Jetsons crossover? We're in. Let's go."

(All three actors explained that they have nothing but love for the Mortal Kombat franchise and the film's cast; the funny trio were just joking with me about the situation, but it's clear they'd definitely like to work with the Mortal Kombat people to some extent.)

It was a sentiment echoed by most Street Fighter actors I interviewed. Almost every one of them was a game for a possible collaboration with another fighting game franchise, with Andrew Koji and Kalina Liang specifically mentioning Marvel vs Capcom.

However, director Kitao Sakurai has made it clear that any subsequent Street Fighter films will depend on how well the first one does in theaters. Having seen it myself, I can say that it's a lot of fun and full of lore and easter eggs that fans will enjoy - but you'll have to make up your own mind when you sit down to watch it.

Street Fighter hits theaters on October 16, 2026.

Virginia (she) is the news editor for IGN. With ten years of experience reporting on games and entertainment, a background in the fighting game community, influencer news, and viral online trends, find her on Twitter at @TheeMissGlaze.