First Look At AEW Star MJF In New Hollywood Movie

AEW

The official trailer for a new Hollywood movie featuring former AEW World Champion MJF has now been released.

MJF has recently been establishing himself as a Hollywood actor, contributing to several projects away from wrestling in recent years, most notably Happy Gilmore 2 and The Iron Claw.

The AEW star was announced as part of the cast for Violent Night 2 in September 2025, with filming for this movie being the reason for his in-ring absence following that month’s All Out: Toronto event.

The trailer for this movie has now dropped, which you can view at the bottom of this news story.

MJF – credited as Maxwell Friedman – can be seen most prominently at the 1:36 mark, enjoying a Christmas cookie which may or may not have questionable ingredients, based on the rest of the trailer.

Violent Night 2 is a sequel to the 2022 holiday action movie, and is set for a December 4 release. Also starring David Harbour, Jared Harris and Kristen Bell, the movie is directed by Tommy Wirkola.

Universal Pictures shared the following synopsis for the movie along with the trailer:

“In 2022’s bare-knuckle holiday sensation, Violent Night, an embittered Santa, armed with lethal combat skills, took out a team of mercenaries to rescue a girl and her family.

“Now, not-so-jolly Saint Nick suits up again to take on a ruthless gangster (Emmy and Golden Globe nominee Jared Harris) terrorizing the merchants of the Silver Bell Mall.

“But when Santa forgets the true meaning of Christmas, he finds himself in the heart of a lively mall community in desperate need of his help. Sapped of his magic, he’ll need another way to take on the goons threatening the mall, and time is running out.

“Santa has to rediscover his faith in goodness and call in some last-minute reinforcements from the one person no baddie wants to tangle with: Mrs. Claus (Emmy and Golden Globe nominee Kristen Bell).

“Along with David Harbour, Jared Harris and Kristen Bell, the dynamic cast includes Emmy winning screen legend Joe Pantoliano (The Last of Us, The Sopranos), Daniela Melchior (Fast X, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3), Andrew Bachelor (Greenland, The Walking Dead), and AEW professional wrestler Maxwell Friedman (The Iron Claw, Happy Gilmore 2).”

MJF hasn’t wrestled since losing the AEW World Championship to Kenny Omega on the July 8 Dynamite: Beach Break special.

He isn’t the only wrestler with a significant movie releasing later this year, with the trailer for Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo – starring WWE’s Liv Morgan in a prominent role – also recently dropping.

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• Hollywood
• AEW
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