‘Creed 2’ Lands Romanian Boxer Florian Munteanu As Ivan Drago’s Son
Back in November last year, we heard thatCreed 2might be looking for someoneto play the son of Ivan Drago, the legendary boxer responsible for killing Apollo Creed in the ring at the beginning ofRocky IVin 1985. At the time, an MMA fighter namedSage Northcuttsaid that he sent in a tape as an audition for the role, but there had been no real confirmation that the spin-off sequel starringMichael B. Jordanwould bring in the offspring of another legacy character. Now not only do we have confirmation of the character’s involvement in the sequel, but we know who’s playing him as well, and it’s not the aforementioned MMA fighter.
Get the details on theCreed 2casting of Ivan Drago’s son below.
The Tracking Boardfirst reported (with confirmation followed bySylvester Stallone on Instagram) that boxerFlorian “Big Nasty” Munteanuhas been cast as the son of Ivan Drago, who hasn’t yet been given a name for us to call him. If the image above wasn’t enough to convince you that this guy is going to be quite the formidable opponent, just likeDolph Lundgrenwas back in 1985, check out this video:
That video might as well be the training montage that we see intercut with Michael B. Jordan preparing to take him on in the ring. The guy is a beast, and even if Adonis (Johnson) Creed brings that taste for revenge with him, this fight still won’t be easy.
When it comes to casting opponents for the Creed franchise, I’m glad that producerSylvester Stalloneand directorSteven Caple Jr.(The Land) have kept the trend of casting real life fighters. It adds authenticity to the proceedings, but perhaps even more impressive is that Jordan fits right in with their physique and moves in the ring.
Both Sylvester Stallone and Dolph Lundgren will be back forCreed 2, which is being written byLuke CageshowrunnerCheo Hodari Coker, and it’ll be interesting to see how those two behave when they see each other again. Stallone will have to hold back a bit if only to be the voice of reason for Adonis, who will undoubtedly have more than a bone to pick with the son of Drago. But hopefullyTessa Thompsonas Bianca can help in that department.
The firstCreedwas a surprisingly great continuance of the legacy of Rocky Balboa, so hopefully the sequel can keep the momentum going and deliver a story worth telling.
