Maybe he would have returned for a sequel? There's a post-credits scene foreshadowing Bison's return iirc.Raul Julia doesn't die from cancer.
I think of Julia as like Nicholas Cage: his greatest talent is livening up terrible movies with over-the-top performances while still being a fairly good actor as shown by his portrayal of Chico Mendes in The Burning Season. The most obvious example was him playing M. "But for me, it was Tuesday" Bison in Street Fighter. But he also manages to liven up the forgettable comedy Moon Over Parador as a crooked advisor to a tinpot dictator.
"YOU WILL DO IT!"