Talk:Wreck-It Ralph/List of Cameos/@comment-5151756-20120619061634

The reason for Street Fighter II's Zangief as a villain in this film was an homage to the 1994 Street Fighter film. Initially a villain throughout the film (and of course, served as a comic relief character), he became good near the end of the film.

(Information taken from the Street Fighter Wiki's Zangief page).