‘Heels’ Creator Michael Waldron Loves Wrestling
The wrestling drama premieres Aug. 15 on Starz.
Michael Waldron is the creator, head writer and executive producer for Loki, as well as the writer for Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness. The Atlanta native won an Emmy for his work as a writer and producer on Rick and Morty’s fourth season. His next project is writing the Kevin Feige-produced Star Wars.
But most importantly, he’s a wrestling fan!
Waldron has created the hottest show of the year – Heels. Set in a close-knit Georgia community, it follows a family-owned wrestling promotion as two brothers and in-ring rivals battle over their late father’s legacy. Stephen Amell stars as heir apparent Jack Spade and Alexander Ludwig plays his younger brother Ace, who strongly resembles his Vikings castmate Edge.
The drama series also stars Alison Luff as Staci Spade, Jack’s wife and the proxy of every woman who married into the wrestling industry; Mary McCormack as Willie Day, Jack’s business partner; Kelli Berglund as Crystal Tyler, Ace’s valet and love interest; Allen Maldonado as wrestler Rooster Robbins; two-time Super Bowl champion James Harrison as wrestler Apocalypse; and Chris Bauer as Wild Bill Hancock, a former star who is now a high-level scout.
I don’t know how to discuss the show without spoiling it, so I’ll just highly recommend it. I binged the first four episodes and am craving the rest of the season. As Jack Goodwillie mentioned when watching the trailer, it’s about time someone made a drama about wrasslin’.
I had the opportunity to speak with Waldron last week as part of the press junket. Below is an edited form of our conversation. The full audio interview comes out Monday night as part of Corrigan’s Corner on Reckless Airwaves Radio.
What inspired the sibling rivalry between Jack and Ace?
Michael Waldron: “Wrestling is a family affair. The Von Erichs, the Harts, look at the McMahons. But there’s really no one-to-one brother vs. brother rivalry the way Jack and Ace are. I just thought it was cool, man. When I think about wrestling and what I loved about it as a kid and part of what I still love about it now is the binary nature of it. It’s good vs. bad. In a match, there’s somebody you’re rooting for and someone you’re rooting against. Of course, those roles can turn. Positioning two brothers in that kind of duality of good guy in the ring, kind of a bad guy outside of it. Bad guy in the ring, little more decent guy outside of it. When that clicked in my head, I knew that was good story math and I just kept chasing it.”
What is the greatest family in wrestling history?
Michael Waldron: “It’s hard to argue with the McMahons, but I love the Harts, so I guess that’s my answer. Growing up, I never would have said Bret Hart is my favorite wrestler. But I think about how he was the foil to so many of my favorite storylines and his longevity and how great he was. I love the Ironman match so much.
Sting was my favorite wrestler in WCW. When Bret Hart was in WCW, he had a Nitro match with Wolfpac Sting that was no holds barred. It was crazy.”
They fought backstage.
Michael Waldron: “They fought backstage forever. That match was bananas! I still remember it and wonder if that was the coolest match I’ve ever seen.”
Do you still keep up with wrestling today?
Michael Waldron: “I keep up tangentially, not nearly as much as I used to. With the WWE Network, I’ll tune in for the pay-per-views and I’ll watch WrestleMania every year. Frankly, I’m more making my way back through the ‘90s and reliving that stuff that exists just as vague memories. I just love catching a Shawn Michaels Raw match and being like, ‘Jesus, this is amazing.’ I just have such affection for the characters I grew up with.”
I have to ask you because it’s in the news – CM Punk is possibly returning to wrestling. Your show may have lit this fire. Would you be excited to see him come back or would you rather he stay an actor?
Michael Waldron: “Well, he’s a helluva actor. He’s a great actor. I don’t want him coming back to the world of wrestling at the expense of him showing up in Heels, that’s for sure. But as a wrestling fan, how could you not be excited? The fact that CM Punk’s return to the ring was in our show was the coolest thing in the world. Of all the pinch yourself moments in this show, getting to know Phil, getting to know Punk, and getting to know just what a standup dude he is. Such a cool guy, such a hard worker. Meet your heroes – that was awesome. Whatever he wants to do, I’m happy for him and I know he’ll kick ass.”
I think wrestling fans are going to love this show, but we know one who probably won’t. Are you ready for Jim Cornette to roast the show or you?
Michael Waldron: “Of course, I hope so. I think, once upon a time back in the first iteration of the show when we had our writers’ room in 2017, I was naïve enough to think let’s reach out to Jim Cornette and see if he wants to consult with us. I think it was a polite decline on his part. But yeah, bring it on. I love it.”
Who are your top three heels of all time?
Michael Waldron: “I was a WCW kid, first and foremost. Hollywood Hogan was such a great villain. To have appreciated Hogan in the red and yellow, and when I started watching wrestling, that’s who he was. I had The Wrestling Boot Traveling Band CD. I knew all the words to ‘Hulkster in Heaven.’ And then the fact that he turned bad, stayed bad and suddenly did the Flair thing. He was so cowardly. He wasn’t a tough bad guy. Sting was my favorite wrestler and when he came down from the rafters, Hogan was running and hiding and would cheat. His commitment to that makes him No. 1 for me.
Shawn Michaels is my other favorite wrestler. He always rode the line. I loved the Marty Jannetty kick through the window. Bobby Heenan is so funny in that moment. ‘He tried to escape,’ as Gorilla Monsoon loses his mind. From that moment, Shawn Michaels just kept being a shithead. I don’t feel they really ever turned him face. The audience was just like ‘I like this guy, he’s so compelling and charismatic’ that he organically became a good guy. When he finally won the title from Bret Hart, it was just like, wow, Shawn Michaels is the face here. That antihero evolution was so interesting.
And then Vince McMahon. What an amazing stand-in for anybody that ever hated their boss and just felt like shit going to work. He let himself get his ass kicked by Stone Cold and got humiliated, but he also got in shape. Just the amount of reaction GIFs I have in my phone of Vince McMahon in his heyday is a testament. On top of all that, he was the businessman and maestro of this orchestra. I’m in awe of him as a character in culture.”
Heels premieres Aug. 15 at 9 p.m. EST on Starz.
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