Steel
“Heroes don't come any bigger.”
Synopsis
When a renegade military reject puts new superweapons in dangerous hands, John Henry Irons becomes Steel. Wearing body armor, wielding a fearsome electrohammer and riding a gadget-packed motorcycle, he's ready to wage war... if he can fix the untimely glitches in his untested gear.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
Steel Stops CrimeOfficial
Type: Clip • Published 2025-02-28
Top Cast
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Shaquille O'Neal
John Henry Irons / Steel
Annabeth Gish
Sparky
Richard Roundtree
Uncle Joe
Judd Nelson
Nathaniel Burke
Irma P. Hall
Grandma Odessa
Harvey Silver
Lamont
Ray J
Martin
Charles Napier
Col. David
Kerrie Keane
Sen. Nolan
Eric Pierpoint
Major
Tembi Locke
Norma
Thom Barry
Sgt. Marcus
Gary Graham
Detective
Hill Harper
Slats
Rutanya Alda
Mrs. Hunt
John Hawkes
Mugger
Kevin Grevioux
Singer
Tim DeZarn
Skinhead Leader
Release History & Theatrical Window
August 15, 1997
Wide Cinema Exhibition
January 16, 1998
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$16M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$1.7M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
0.11x
-$14.3M deficit
Theatrical Status
Budget Return
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Kenneth Johnson
- Screenplay & Story
- Kenneth Johnson, Louise Simonson, Jon Bogdanove
- Original Score
- Mervyn Warren
- Original Title
- Steel
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 1h 37m
- Production Budget
- $16M
- Worldwide Gross
- $1.7M
- Production Studios
- Quincy Jones-David Salzman Entertainment, Warner Bros. Pictures
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Kenneth Johnson
Kenneth Johnson, Louise Simonson, Jon Bogdanove
Mervyn Warren
Mark Irwin
John F. Link
Quincy Jones, Shaquille O'Neal, Joel Simon, Leonard Armato, Bruce Binkow
Department Leadership Roster
Mark Irwin
Director of Photography
Kenneth Johnson
Director
Quincy Jones
Producer
John F. Link
Editor
Kenneth Johnson
Writer
Catherine Adair
Costume Design
Mervyn Warren
Original Music Composer
Gary Wissner
Production Design
Jon H. Epstein
Stunt Coordinator
Joel Simon
Producer
David Salzman
Producer
M. James Arnett
Stunt Coordinator
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
PG-13: Parents Strongly Cautioned — May contain intense action, language, or mature themes.
International Certification Matrix
FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.
Parental Guidance — Unlikely to upset children 8 and older.
Parents Strongly Cautioned — May contain intense action, language, or mature themes.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Steel.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Steel.
Movies Watched
Superheroes
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everything DC
Superheroes
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DC Comics — Live-action Feature Films
Live-action feature films based on DC Comics publications, including upcoming films. Based on the Wikipedia feature films table as of October 15, 2026.
Topher's Vault: Superhero — DC & Batman — Movies
Topher's Vault Category 14: Superhero — DC & Batman — Movies only. Curated by Navi for Topher's profile.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Steel
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Steel about?
When a renegade military reject puts new superweapons in dangerous hands, John Henry Irons becomes Steel. Wearing body armor, wielding a fearsome electrohammer and riding a gadget-packed motorcycle, he's ready to wage war... if he can fix the untimely glitches in his untested gear.
Who directed Steel?
Steel was directed by Kenneth Johnson.
Who stars in Steel?
The principal cast of Steel includes Shaquille O'Neal, Annabeth Gish, Richard Roundtree, Judd Nelson, Irma P. Hall.
When was Steel released and how long is it?
Steel was released in 1997 with a total runtime of 1h 37m.
What was the box office and production budget of Steel?
Steel had a reported production budget of $16M and grossed $1.7M at the worldwide box office (0.11 return on budget, classified as a underperformed).
Who composed the musical score for Steel?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Steel was composed by Mervyn Warren.
Is Steel based on a book or true story?
Steel is adapted from the following source material: Comic Book: "Louise Simonson", Comic Book: "Jon Bogdanove".
What is the age rating and content advisory for Steel?
Steel holds official age classifications: DE: 12 (FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.); GB: PG (Parental Guidance — Unlikely to upset children 8 and older.); US: PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned — May contain intense action, language, or mature themes.).