Behind-The-Scenes News On Who MJF Will Play In 'The Iron Claw'

AEW star MJF will be making his film debut in "The Iron Claw" as Kevin Vaughan, the 1980s wrestler who was briefly passed off as a cousin of the Von Erich wrestling clan

When Mike Von Erich was hospitalized in 1985 with toxic shock syndrome, World Class Championship Wrestling booker and referee David Manning recruited Vaughan as a replacement and named him Lance Von Erich. According to a 1988 story in D Magazine, Vaughan's charade did not fool many loyal Von Erich fans, and his wrestling skills were subpar to those of the Von Erichs. Vaughan quit after patriarch and WCCW owner Fritz Von Erich refused his request for more money. He would later wrestle under the names Fabulous Lance and Handsome Lance. He recalled his career in the autobiography "Lance by Chance: Wrestling as a Von Erich."

Deadline reported that MJF was cast in "The Iron Claw," and PWInsider.com confirmed MJF's casting as Vaughan and determined that his absence from AEW's Full Gear pay-per-view was due to his role in the film, which is now in production.

"Iron Claw" will be MJF's first film role. He is the second wrestler cast in the film, as Chavo Guerrero Jr. also has a role and is doing double-duty as a wrestling coordinator. The Von Erichs are being played by Zac Efron as Kevin, Jeremy Allen White as Kerry, Harris Dickinson as David, Holt McCallany as Fritz, and Stanley Simons as Mike. The film is being produced by A24, with Sean Durkin directing from his screenplay.