Who is Leatherface? Know all about the iconic character following AEW appearance

Leatherface running down the area in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Deathmatch between Jeff Hardy and Jeff Jarrett on AEW Dynamite left a lasting impression on fans. The match had highs and lows, and some spots even got the crowd chanting. Along with some incredible wrestling spots, one cameo had everyone talking.

This character had his face covered with a mask and vaunted through the ramp with a chainsaw, the titular device in the horror movie franchise that has had the audience terrified for more than three decades. He ran towards the ring that had already experienced absolute carnage and chased a soaked Karen Angle out of the arena. Fans had various questions and started researching the Leatherface character.

The character in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre Deathmatch at AEW Dynamite was played by AEW developmental talent Dean Alexander, who's originally from Kansas City, Missouri. He has mostly worked matches in AEW: Dark since March 2021 and some more in Nightmare Factory Showcase.

Who is Leatherface?

Leatherface made his first appearance in the 1974 horror movie, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The movie had the character in one of the most poignant sequences ever to have a villain. The iconic sequence had Leatherface swinging the iconic chainsaw in the countryside, now known as the 'chainsaw dance.'

His backstory was simple in the original, a deranged member of a cannibalistic family. In the movies, the family goes on a rampage, killing teenagers who trespass upon their property, one by one.

Leatherface and his family were inspired by the real-life serial killer Ed Gein, who was active in the late fifties.

Along the sequels, the audience also loved several aspects of the character, including the mask that he wears, which is supposed to be human skin. Like any character who has been through the ages, his backstory has evolved.

However, all of them have a common aspect, he becomes the violent, cannibalistic killer because of external elements.

Timeline of Leatherface and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise movies

The character has become an integral part of pop culture, with a whole new movie popping up on Netflix in 2022.

The movie has had several sequels, one in '86, titled The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, and then another in '92, titled The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3. The one from 1995 was called The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation.

The 2017 movie in the franchise was titled simply 'Leatherface' and it described Leatherface's backstory in detail.

Over the years, several actors have played Leatherface, beginning with Gunnar Hansen in the original. Bill Johnson played the character in the '86 sequel, and he was followed by R. A. Mihailoff (1990), Robert Jacks (1994), Andrew Bryniarski (2003, 2006), Dan Yeager (2013), Sam Strike (2017), and Mark Burnham in the following sequels.

Other Pop Culture fictional characters who have made their way to the wrestling ring

Pop culture and movie characters in the ring are not new, though it hasn't happened a lot. Robocop and Elvira appeared on WCW programming in the nineties. Even another iconic horror movie character, Chucky, made his way onto WCW programming to promote the 1998 movie, 'Bride of Chucky. And lest history forgets, even the original Batman, Adam West, made an appearance on a wrestling show in the seventies in CWA Memphis Wrestling.

What do you think about pop culture characters in an AEW ring? Sound off in the comments section.