Ivan Drago Will Totally Be in ‘Creed 2’, Sylvester Stallone Confirms

The greatest Russian villain in movie history is finally returning to the ring.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BWEa6DRjrBN

For weeks, Sylvester Stallone has been dropping hints that the Russian supervillain Ivan Drago would return to the Rocky franchise in the upcoming sequel to Creed. After the Instagram post above, it seemed a near certainly that Dolph Lundgren’s juiced-up power puncher would be back.

Now, after Stallone’s latest Instagram tease, it’s all but official. Here’s a page the action icon posted from his handwritten script notes. Not only is the word “Drago” on the paper, but it’s hastagged in the Instagram post. In our modern social media age, this counts as confirmation. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/BW05QV2jM8R

It’s little surprise that Drago would return to the Rocky franchise now that Adonis Creed is at the center of it. Drago, as you no doubt recall, killed Apollo Creed in the ring. In Rocky IV, it sent Rocky Balboa spiraling and ultimately led him to kick Drago’s ass on Christmas Day. 

If watching Apollo die was traumatic for his friend Rocky, imagine how it would have impacted young Adonis, watching on TV at home. He’s going to have a lot of hate in his heart and it seems that Stallone is going to let him take it out on Drago’s progeny (see the “sins of the father” line in the Instagram post up top). 

Drago himself is too old to get in the ring with Adonis, but a re-match with Rocky might not be out of the question. Of course, given the age of the actors (Stallone is 71 and Lundgren is 59), they might have to play shuffleboard instead of box. But don’t kid yourself, you’d be amped to watch these two characters compete in anything.