Sylvester Stallone has shared a behind the scenes video from Creed 2 revealing a deleted fight scene between Rocky and Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren). Rocky faced plenty of iconic fighters throughout the franchise, but none have cast as big a shadow as Drago. The hulking Russian boxer caused the death of Rocky’s former opponent turned best friend Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) in the ring, and Rocky himself was left with brain damage following their punishing bout.
Rocky would later act as a trainer and mentor to Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan), Apollo’s son. Creed 2 follows Adonis as he prepares to fight Viktor Drago, the son of Ivan, who also acts as his trainer, giving the fight a very personal edge. Some fans were worried about Drago’s return, with the character being an almost cartoonish villain in 1985’s Rocky IV but Creed 2’s grounded approach and Lundgren’s nuanced performance let audiences see a new side to the character. Lundgren later revealed a reconciliation scene of sorts was filmed between Drago and Rocky, but this was cut from the film.
Stallone and Lundgren don’t share much screen time in Creed 2’s final cut, save for a memorable reunion scene in Rocky’s restaurant. Now Stallone has posted a behind the scenes video on his Instagram showing rehearsals for a deleted fight sequence between Rocky and Drago. Unfortunately, the actor doesn’t reveal where in the film this fight took place.
While a brief rematch between Rocky and Drago would have been a real fan-pleasing moment, Creed 2 doesn’t miss this sequence. Lundgren has stated he thinks Drago’s redemption is still being saved for Creed 3, so there’s a chance the character could reappear in a future sequel. It looks like Stallone may have thrown in the towel as Rocky, however, with the star announcing his retirement from the role following the release of Creed 2. The movie ends on an emotional note for the character, as he’s reunited with his estranged son and meets his grandchild for the first time.
That said, the star has retired from Rocky Balboa a few times in the past and has always come back, so time will tell if Creed 2 is really the end. It appears 2019 will also mark the end of his run as John Rambo, with Rambo V: Last Blood set to be his final appearance. This entry finds the character on a rescue mission to Mexico to save a friend’s daughter but finding he’s no longer the formidable fighting machine he was once was. The Expendables 4 is also due to start filming this year, with reports suggesting it will be the final entry in that series too.
More: Why Sylvester Stallone Will (Probably) Come Back For One More Rocky Movie
Source: Sylvester Stallone
