Drago Spinoff Movie With Dolph Lundgren Gets Confident Update From Creed 2 Star

Creed II star Florian Munteanu provides a long-awaited update on the status of Drago, shedding insight into the status of Dolph Lungren’s Rocky spin-off. Lungren’s Russian boxer made his first appearance as the antagonist of 1985’s Rocky IV as a challenger to Sylvester Stallone’s titular boxer after he fatally wounds Carl Weather’s Apollo Creed. After his defeat by Rocky and exile for his loss in the USSR, Drago remerges to challenge the Philadelphia boxing legend’s pupil, Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan), to fight his son, Viktor (Munteanu).

Munteanu revealed to Screen Rant when audiences can expect to see him return to the world of Rocky and Creed. The actor revealed that he and Lungren had been developing the story for several years and had found it exciting to dive into a darker corner of the Rocky landscape and are hopeful for a 2025 filming start, though they are awaiting feedback from other key figures. Check out Munteanu’s response below:

I’m the most excited about it. We have worked for a couple of years now on this project. I can confidently say that we’re in a very good place right now. I think me and Dolph are very happy with where we are at right now. It’s just a lot of people have to make decisions here, and we have to find a compromise.

The tone of that movie has to be slightly darker than what we have seen in Creed just because those characters come from a different world, different environment, different upbringing. So we want to stay true to what the characters are, keep the essence of what the characters are. But we are in a very good place. Hopefully next year, we’re going to hear more about what’s going to happen.

Could Drago Shine A New Light On Ivan’s Character?

Lungren’s Debut Casts An Imposing Shadow On Any Future Stories

Any tale surrounding Drago will inevitably take a darker turn than either Rocky IV or Creed II ventured into, as Lungren’s villain left an undeniable and unshakable impact on audiences. Rendered as a symbol of Soviet Union supremacy in his first appearance, Drago is remorseless when fighting Creed even after it becomes evident that Apollo could not survive the match, and his training further frames him as more of an unfeeling machine than a man. Rocky’s ultimate fight with Drago breaks that illusion, and his defeat strips him of his symbolism.

While Rocky suffers trauma left by Drago, his Russian opponent’s life is also changed by the fight, as he goes through a divorce and is exiled alongside Viktor, leaving him eager for revenge and his former glory. Though Viktor’s recognition earns the fame Ivan is eager to recapture, his son’s criticisms about chasing after accolades and the potential of losing him sees Ivan have a change of heart. As such, while Ivan has made the first steps toward redemption, he still has a long way to go before he casts off his darker reputation to the world.

With the promise of a darker tale for one of the Rocky series’ most reviled figures, cinemagoers may be left more eager to see what a Drago spin-off could show. Creed II may have shown the first few steps in Ivan’s change for his son’s sake, but he has yet to show that side of himself to the rest of the world beyond his personal ties. As such, Munteanu’s teases hint towards a story that won’t shy away from Ivan Drago’s darker cinematic legacy.

Creed II

3.5

The second Creed spin-off movie is the eighth installment in the Rocky franchise, continuing the story of both Apollo Creed and Rocky Balboa. After rising to the top of the boxing world, Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) comes to face to face with Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren), the man who killed his father Apollo in Rocky IV. Tempted with a grudge match against Drago’s son, Creed 2 sees Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) coach Adonis against his most dangerous opponent yet.

Director

Steven Caple Jr.

Release Date

November 21, 2018

Studio(s)

Warner Bros. Pictures

Distributor(s)

Warner Bros. Pictures

Runtime

2h 10m

Budget

50 million

Expand