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 the Iron Claw movie received critical acclaim and was a box office success.

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."

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.

11 Kevin's First 2 Children Were Daughters

Kevin & Pam Have 2 Sons In The Iron Claw

Whereas The Iron Claw depicts Kevin and his wife Pamela as having two boys, the couple had two girls first in real life. Pamela gave birth to their daughter, Kristen Rain, in 1981 and their second daughter, Jillian Lindsey, in 1985. Kevin and Pamela later had two sons — David "Ross" and Kevin "Marshall," in 1988 and 1992.

Marshall and Ross Von Erich perform as a duo in the sport and are former World Tag Team Champions.

The 2023 biographical sports drama may have changed this fact about Kevin's life because his two boys grew up to be professional wrestlers like their father. Marshall and Ross Von Erich perform as a duo in the sport and are former World Tag Team Champions. The gender change in the film was most likely a narrative choice, though, so that Kevin and Pam's boys could parallel the Von Erich brothers at The Iron Claw.

10 Fritz's Former Heel Wrestling Character Was Based On A Nazi

Fritz Changed His Surname To Von Erich For The German Role

When Fritz Von Erich started wrestling, he was a heel who was portrayed as an evil German, aka a Nazi. While Fritz is not painted in the best light due to his overbearing and cruel parenting methods in The Iron Claw, the movie never mentions the patriarch's wrestling moniker. He was born Jack Adkisson and changed his name to Fritz Von Erich to better suit his German character in the ring.

Perhaps revealing Fritz's Nazi character was too controversial for The Iron Claw.

Fritz was also part of a Nazi brother duo, performing alongside Waldo Von Erich (whose name was actually Walter Sieber). Perhaps revealing Fritz's Nazi character was too controversial for The Iron Claw. As a result, the A24 film never mentions the Von Erich patriarch's former identity in the ring.

9 Doris Was At The Parade Celebrating Kerry's NWA World Championship Win

The Matriarch Stays At Home In The Iron Claw

Following Kerry Von Erich's win over Ric Flair at the NWA World Championship in 1984, the family celebrated by throwing the 1st Von Erich Memorial Parade of Champions. However, while Doris chooses to stay at home and watch the parade on her television in The Iron Claw, the real Von Erich matriarch attended the celebration with the rest of her family. The movie changes this seemingly small detail of the family's story to add emotional weight to the narrative since the scene depicts David's ghost watching the TV alongside his mother in the 2023 biographical sports drama.

8 David Never Sent Kevin A Postcard From Japan

The Iron Claw Fabricated David's Note To His Brother

Following David's death in The Iron Claw, Kevin receives a postcard from his brother that he sent from Japan before he tragically died from acute enteritis (even though his cause of death is still a debated topic today). In real life, Kevin never posthumously got a postcard from David that read, "I miss you, brother." The director and writer explained this change to the Von Erichs' story during an interview with USA Today. Sean Durkin said:

"The idea of David not having a note but having something written to create the symmetry between the brothers felt important."

7 Kerry's Accident Happened In 1986

Kerry Lost His Right Foot In A Motorcycle Accident

The Iron Claw fast-tracked Kerry's horrific motorcycle accident for storytelling purposes and dramatic effect. In the film, Kerry gets into a crash and loses his right foot in 1984, even though it happened in 1986 in real life. The producers sped up the timeline so that the tragedy could take place the same year that David died, quickly following the wrestling match between Kerry and The Iron Claw.

Kerry Von Erich won the NWA World Heavyweight Championship against Ric Flair in May 1984.

David was supposed to fight Flair. But after his death, Kerry stepped in and took his late brother's place. Kerry won, and in the 2023 biographical sports drama movie, lost his foot one day later. In reality, the accident occurred two years later.

6 Kerry's Marriage Is Downplayed

Kerry Married Catherine In June 1983

The Iron Claw skims over Kerry's marriage to Catherine, even though they were married for nine years and had two daughters. Catherine is a fragment of Kerry's storyline in the film, but in reality, their relationship was a significant time in the wrestler's life. After nine years of marriage, Kerry and Catherine divorced in 1992, one year before he died by suicide. The movie also semi-inaccurately depicts his life because it removes Kerry's two daughters — Hollie and Lacey — from the narrative. Lacey went on to become a professional wrestler for three years in the late 2000s before retiring.

5 The Real Kevin Von Erich Claims The Iron Claw's Portrayal Of Fritz Is Wrong

The Surviving Von Erich Disagreed With The Film's Depiction Of His Father

Whereas The Iron Claw portrays Fritz Von Erich as an intimidating father who forces his sons to live up to the family's legacy in the ring. However, in real life, Fritz's only surviving son reveals that Holt McCallany's version of his father is false. Kevin Von Erich told This is Jericho:

"[Fritz Von Erich] was an honorable, good man. What he said, his word was his bond. When you shook his hand, it was a contract, it was honorable. I want everyone to know he comes off pretty rank in this movie."

Kevin went on to explain how the 2023 sports biographical drama film is not "historical" and is a (mostly) fictional interpretation of the tragic events that happened to his family. The former wrestler insisted that Fritz's behavior did not have any kind of influence on his brothers' suicides, as The Iron Claw seems to implicate. Fritz died on September 10, 1997, at the age of 68 from brain and lung cancer.

4 Doris & Fritz Separated Before Kerry Died

The Couple Officially Divorced In July 1992

The biographical sports drama features the cracks in Doris and Fritz's marriage, eventually leading to divorce. However, the couple separated a year before their son Kerry's death in real life, while Doris didn't leave Fritz until after Kerry died at the end of The Iron Claw. Director Sean Durkin undoubtedly made this change to the Von Erich family's story for dramatic purposes. But the timeline of Fritz and Doris' crumbling marriage in The Iron Claw is still a significant inaccuracy in its storytelling.