This article contains mentions of suicide.
Summary
- The Iron Claw removes a Von Erich brother from the movie.
- The film alters the timeline of events, changing the year of Kerry's motorcycle accident and speeding up certain significant moments for dramatic effect.
- The movie downplays certain relationships and events, such as Kerry's marriage and divorce, as well as the timing of Doris and Fritz's separation.
The Von Erich family is at the center of The Iron Claw, and while the movie does its best to honor the prestigious wrestling dynasty, the film had to make some changes to its tale for the sake of drama and storytelling. The 2023 biographical sports drama, directed and written by Sean Durkin, tells the story of the Von Erichs — a notorious family of professional wrestlers whose careers span from Fritz Von Erich's debut in the 1950s to today. But the movie only covers a few decades in between, when numerous tragedies befell Fritz and his wife Doris' sons.
The Iron Claw is available to stream on Max starting May 10, 2024.
Director and writer Sean Durkin was forced to alter the Von Erichs' story in his film by removing significant figures from the cast of The Iron Claw. The plot also changes the genders of some characters who are based on real people, speeds up life-changing events in the family's lives (like separations and accidents), and more. For the most part, the details about the Von Erich family that The Iron Claw leaves out are rather significant, upsetting some who thought the historical inaccuracies weren't necessary. Nevertheless, the Iron Claw movie received critical acclaim and was a box office success.
|
The Iron Claw Cast |
Role |
|---|---|
|
Zac Efron |
Kevin Von Erich |
|
Jeremy Allen White |
Kerry Von Erich |
|
Harris Dickinson |
David Von Erich |
|
Maura Tierney |
Doris Von Erich |
|
Stanley Simons |
Mike Von Erich |
|
Holt McCallany |
Fritz Von Erich |
|
Michael J. Harney |
Bill Mercer |
|
Lily James |
Pam Adkisson |
|
Maxwell Friedman |
Lance Von Erich |
|
Aaron Dean Eisenberg |
Ric Flair |
13 The Iron Claw Leaves Out The Sixth Von Erich Brother
Chris Von Erich Died By Suicide In September 1991
One of the most significant changes the filmmakers behind The Iron Claw made was removing a Von Erich brother from the movie. In real life, Fritz and Doris Von Erich had six sons — Jack Barton Jr., Kevin, David, Kerry, Mike, and Chris. Jack Barton Jr. died after an accidental electrocution and drowning when he was six in 1959, so he isn't in the film. On the other hand, Kevin, David, Kerry, and Mike are all thrust into the spotlight on the big screen, while Chris is missing from The Iron Claw.
Unfortunately, director Sean Durkin had to make the hard choice to leave Chris out of The Iron Claw, but he did add some elements of his life to Mike's character.
Chris was a wrestler like the rest of his brothers, but he struggled with the pressure to live up to his family's legacy. He also had asthma and brittle bone syndrome, which made it difficult to succeed in the sport. Chris died by suicide at the age of 21 in 1991, and Sean Durkin felt as if the movie couldn't handle another death. The director and writer told the Los Angeles Times:
"There was a repetition to it, and it was one more tragedy that the film couldn't really withstand."
What Happened To Kevin Von Erich & His Family After The Iron Claw
Zac Efron stars as Kevin Von Erich in The Iron Claw, with his character based on the now-retired real-life professional wrestler from Texas.
12 Kevin Didn't Wrestle Barefoot Until 1982
The Iron Claw Depicts Kevin Without Shoes In The Ring
When The Iron Claw begins, Zac Efron's Kevin Von Erich is seen wrestling in 1979, and he is not wearing any shoes. Kevin going barefoot in the ring became his trademark in real life, but the professional wrestler did not decide to stop wearing traditional wrestling boots until 1982. So, the 2023 biographical sports drama film speeds up the timeline of Kevin's choice to go barefoot while performing, which ultimately does not have much effect on the narrative.