Thomas Tull, a self-made businessman, hit it big when he ventured into entertainment and became a major player in Hollywood. Tull is the CEO and chairman of Legendary Pictures, which has produced and financed the Dark Knight and Hangover series, as well as We Are Marshall.
Tull grew up in upstate New York but is a lifelong Steelers fan. He crossed off the ultimate item on a fan’s bucket list when he became an owner of his favorite team in 2008. Tull bought a piece of the Steelers when the NFL enforced a rule that prohibits league owners from also having gaming interests.
Tull and other investors helped Dan and Art Rooney II maintain control of the Steelers by buying from the Rooney brothers who sold their shares of the organization. Tull has since been as visible as any minority owner in sports.
He attends games when his schedule permits and usually wears a No. 58 jersey in homage to Jack Lambert. Tull also brought two of his passions together in 2011 for The Dark Knight Rises.
A handful of players as well as Steelers director of football and business administration Omar Khan and former coach Bill Cowher were cast in a scene filmed at Heinz Field.
No one had a bigger role than Hines Ward, who returns the opening kickoff in a game as the field implodes behind him. Just as cool is the black-and-gold clad fans in the stands—the Gotham Rogues apparently share colors with the Steelers—and the UPMC sign that is clearly visible on the Heinz Field scoreboard.