MJF’s expanding acting résumé has added another visible chapter with the release of the first trailer for Stranglehold, a dark comedy thriller that also features Kayla Becker and former WCW World Champion David Arquette.

The trailer, revealed on September 17, offers the first substantial look at the film and its chaotic central premise. MJF is seen as an employee at a strip club that is overtaken by thieves. During the footage, he emerges from behind the bar armed with a shotgun and delivers a loud, high-energy reaction that wrestling viewers may find especially familiar.

For fans who know MJF primarily through All Elite Wrestling, the moment is a natural reminder of the intensity and vocal projection that have helped make him one of the promotion’s most prominent personalities. The trailer’s setting and hostage-style threat place his character in a tense environment, while the film’s dark-comedy label suggests that the danger will be balanced with heightened, offbeat humor.

A Wrestling-Connected Cast in a New Setting

Stranglehold brings together three performers with recognizable ties to professional wrestling, though each arrives with a different background in entertainment.

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MJF has become one of AEW’s defining stars during his time with the company. A multi-time world champion, he has built his wrestling identity around sharp verbal performances, an unapologetically arrogant character and an ability to shift between comedy, menace and emotional drama. Those qualities have made the transition into screen roles a notable development in his career.

Kayla Becker, formerly known as Kayla Braxton in WWE, is also part of the cast. Becker spent years as a visible on-screen host and interviewer in WWE, including work on programming where she regularly interacted with many of the company’s biggest names. Her involvement gives Stranglehold another connection to the wrestling audience, while presenting her in a feature-film ensemble outside her previous wrestling-media role.

Arquette’s presence carries a distinctly unusual legacy in wrestling history. He is a former WCW World Champion, having won the title in 2000 during his involvement in the promotion’s storylines. The championship run remains one of the most discussed and divisive moments of the late WCW era. In the years since, Arquette also pursued a more serious relationship with the industry, including in-ring training and wrestling appearances that showed a personal commitment to earning respect from wrestlers and fans.

Outside wrestling, Arquette has long been established as an actor, making him a fitting inclusion in a cast that bridges Hollywood performers and faces recognized by wrestling viewers.

What the Trailer Establishes

The initial preview centers on the strip club takeover, immediately establishing a contained, dangerous scenario. MJF’s character is caught within the situation as the criminals seize control of the location. His appearance behind the bar with a shotgun gives the trailer one of its most striking images and places him directly inside the escalating action rather than on the edges of the story.

The footage does not fully explain every character’s allegiance or the ultimate direction of the plot. That uncertainty is part of what makes the trailer effective as a first look: it introduces the setting, the immediate threat and the heightened tone without laying out the entire chain of events.

Its dark comedy thriller classification is important. The trailer is not presented simply as a straightforward crime film. The material appears designed to combine suspenseful circumstances with exaggerated reactions and uncomfortable humor. MJF’s frantic outburst is one of the clearest examples of that tonal mixture, bringing an explosive performance style to an already volatile situation.

The film also features Ashley Benson, Ron Perlman and Justin Long in prominent roles. Their participation gives the project an experienced group of screen performers alongside the wrestling-connected names. Perlman’s career includes an extensive range of dramatic, action and genre work, while Long and Benson bring their own established film backgrounds to the ensemble.

MJF Continues Building an On-Screen Career

Stranglehold is another notable acting project for MJF, whose career has increasingly extended beyond the wrestling ring. He has appeared in films including Happy Gilmore 2 and is also attached to the upcoming Violent Night sequel.

That growing list is particularly significant because MJF’s wrestling success has not limited him to playing a version of his in-ring persona. Wrestling has undoubtedly given him valuable experience in performing for cameras, responding to live audiences and delivering character-driven material, but film places those skills in a different creative setting. A movie set demands work within a scripted production, with scenes built through multiple takes, editing and collaboration across an ensemble cast.

The first trailer for Stranglehold does not indicate how large MJF’s role will be across the completed film, but it does make clear that he is being used in a memorable moment. For an actor with a wrestling fanbase already accustomed to his expressive delivery, the preview gives viewers a quick example of how his presence translates into a crime-thriller environment.

His performance style has always been one of his biggest assets in AEW. Whether he is delivering a hostile promo, working a comedic exchange or taking part in a major championship storyline, MJF generally performs with a level of commitment that makes his character easy to identify. The trailer’s glimpse of him in an armed standoff taps into that same capacity for heightened expression, even in a dramatically different setting.

Why the Trailer Will Draw Wrestling Interest

Movies with wrestling figures often attract attention for more than just the novelty of seeing recognizable names away from the ring. For viewers, projects such as Stranglehold can offer a chance to see performers employ familiar charisma in unfamiliar circumstances.

In this case, the draw is multiplied by the range of wrestling connections involved. MJF represents the current generation of AEW main-event talent. Becker is known to a wide audience from her WWE broadcasting work. Arquette remains a singular and historically significant name due to his WCW championship history and his later efforts to participate seriously in wrestling.

There is also a contrast between their respective public identities. MJF is identified with a larger-than-life wrestling character and championship-level spotlight. Becker is associated with presenting and interviewing. Arquette has moved between acting and wrestling across a long career. Putting those names into one dark comedy thriller creates an intriguing crossover for fans of both film and professional wrestling.

The trailer’s release also arrives as MJF remains a major figure in AEW. Any outside project involving him will naturally be watched through the lens of his wrestling profile, especially as his film work becomes a more consistent part of his broader career. At the same time, Stranglehold stands as an ensemble movie rather than a wrestling production, with its plot focused on the criminal takeover at the strip club and the characters caught in its path.

A First Look With More Still to Learn

The available footage provides the essentials: a dangerous takeover, an ensemble cast and a tone that leans into both thriller stakes and dark humor. It also delivers a clear showcase moment for MJF, while confirming Becker and Arquette as part of a cast that includes Benson, Perlman and Long.

There are still major details that the trailer does not answer. It does not fully reveal the scope of MJF’s character, the specific roles held by Becker and Arquette, or how the various characters will navigate the escalating crisis. It similarly leaves the full shape of the movie’s comedy and suspense to be discovered in the finished release.

For now, Stranglehold has given wrestling fans a first image of MJF in another cinematic role, this time facing down thieves from behind a bar with a shotgun in hand. With Becker and Arquette joining him, the film has already established a notable wrestling connection before audiences have seen the full story unfold.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.