All Elite Wrestling President Tony Khan discusses his company's philosophy on AEW wrestlers appearing in mainstream movies and TV series. In just over 3 years, AEW has become the second most prominent wrestling promotion behind WWE. While AEW wrestlers like Chris Jericho and Saraya have global recognition from their time in WWE, AEW's homegrown talent like Orange Cassidy, Darby Allin, The Acclaimed, and Dr. Britt Baker DMD have also become huge stars in and out of pro wrestling.
At a media call to promote the upcoming AEW Revolution pay-per-view, Screen Rant asked Tony Khan about what AEW's policy is towards its wrestlers receiving opportunities for mainstream movie and TV projects. Khan explained he wants "a happy roster" and AEW's position on accommodating outside demand for his wrestlers. Read his quote below:
If people come to us and say this is going to be good for us. And... it doesn't even have to be great for the company, as long as it's not going to hurt the company... [If] it's going to be good for them, I want people to have these opportunities and take advantage of them... And as long as it's not going to hurt AEW, I want to try and facilitate that. So when people have opportunities in film, television, or other media, if it's not going to affect the storylines of [AEW's] TV in a major detrimental way, then, of course, we always want to try and accommodate some things when possible.
AEW Wrestlers Are Going Mainstream In Film & TV
WWE has its WWE Films division and many of its superstars have headlined movies, but AEW's stars are also going mainstream. Chris Jericho recently had a cameo appearance in the hit horror film Terrifier 2. AEW World Champion Maxwell Jacob Friedman took time off from his wrestling schedule to portray Lance Von Erich in the upcoming wrestling movie The Iron Claw, which stars Zac Efron and Jeremy Allen White from FX's The Bear. In turn, Golden Globe winner Paul Walter Hauser homaged AEW in Cobra Kai season 5, and Hauser appeared on AEW Dynamite with his prize statue just days after he won the Golden Globe.
AEW wrestlers are fans of mainstream TV, movies, and video games just like everyone else. Dr. Britt Baker is a fan of Cobra Kai, and Martin Kove, who plays John Kreese, appeared on AEW Dynamite in 2021. Baker also attended Cobra Kai's season 5 premiere in Los Angeles. Anthony Bowens of The Acclaimed is a die-hard fan of The Last of Us video game and the blockbuster HBO series. Bowens, who has acting experience, has expressed his desire to appear in The Last of Us TV show. Similarly, TBS Champion Jade Cargill is a fan of House of the Dragon, which was part of a crossover promotional event with AEW Dynamite last summer.
AEW's profile is soon to further rise with the March 2023 debut of its unscripted reality series, AEW All Access. Khan also stated at the AEW Revolution media call that many wrestlers have come to AEW because they were denied opportunities to accept film and TV roles by their previous employers. Khan said, "That's one of the things where we set ourselves apart [by] being a very accommodating place to come and wrestle." Expect AEW's superstars appearing in more movies and TV shows to become a familiar sight.
AEW Dynamite airs Wednesdays @ 8pm ET on TBS. AEW Rampage airs Fridays @ 10pm ET on TNT.