The Iron Claw arrived in theaters this weekend and, for pro wrestling fans, there are more than a few familiar faces. Among them is current AEW World Champion MJF as kayfabe Von Erich brother, Lance Von Erich.
It's essentially a cameo for the fan-favourite heel-turned-babyface as his appearance boils down to all of one shot; talking to ComicBook.com, MJF confirmed he originally had more screentime and explained why he isn't sweating his scenes winding up on the cutting room floor.
"There most certainly is [an extended scene]," MJF explained. "I don't know where it's going to live. There was a scene where me and him [Efron] were talking, but me and [director] Sean [Durkin] both completely understood that...listen, I want this film to succeed, and the film needed to be about the brothers."
"As fun as I had shooting that scene, realistically, it didn't add to the overarching story and the importance of the story between the brothers and what they were going through in dealing with the pressures that their father put on them," he added. "It didn't fit in the pieces of the puzzle."
MJF also serves as an executive producer on the A24 movie and was quick to put that hat on while discussing why it's sometimes for the best scenes like his don't make it into the final cut.
"I'm sure that you're going to find that there was a lot of stuff that got cut and it wasn't because it wasn't good. I think everything that was shot was absolutely fantastic," he said. "Not just my stuff, but every actor had stuff that got cut. It's just like there's only so much time. The story that's most important is the brothers."
"That's what it came down to. I couldn't agree with Sean Durkin more on the decisions he made. The film is an absolute masterpiece."
The movie is the true story of the inseparable Von Erich brothers, who made history in the intensely competitive world of professional wrestling in the early 1980s. Through tragedy and triumph, under the shadow of their domineering father and coach, the brothers seek larger-than-life immortality on the biggest stage in sports.
The Iron Claw stars Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson, Maura Tierney, Stanley Simons, Holt McCallany, and Lily James, and is now playing in theaters.