The Creed movies helped redeem Rocky's biggest antagonist Ivan Drago, and here's how the forthcoming spin-off can complete his arc. With its cheesy dialogue, MTV-inspired editing and long music montages, 1985's Rocky IV is the odd man out of the series. That said, it's also wildly entertaining and features some of the most iconic moments of the franchise. This includes the tragic death of Carl Weathers' Apollo Creed, following a bruising match against Russian boxer Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren).
Drago himself was a walking and (occasionally) talking symbol of the Soviet Union, though the sequel gives some insights into his mindset. Rocky IV was also a star-making role for Lundgren, who went on to other action favorites like Showdown In Little Tokyo and Universal Soldier. The Rocky franchise received its first spin-off with 2015's Creed, which follows Michael B. Jordan's Adonis Creed, who tries to follow in his father's footsteps as a fighter. The passing of Apollo and the impact it had on Adonis and Rocky was a major part of the movie, with Creed 2 expanding on this even further. This follow-up saw Adonis facing off against Viktor Drago (Florian Munteanu), the son of Ivan, who returned as Viktor's trainer.
Creed 2 took a big risk bringing Drago - who was more fleshed out in Rocky IV's trailer - back, as the character was essentially a cartoon villain in Rocky IV. Even Lundgren was reluctant to return for that reason, but the sequel did a great job humanizing Ivan, and exploring how his defeat led to disgrace in his homeland. This filled him with the determination his son Viktor would succeed where he failed, but by the end of Creed 2 he learns to overcome his bitterness and put his son's safety first. It helped that Lundgren brought both a quiet intensity and vulnerability to the role, which is what makes the announcement of a Drago spin-off move so exciting, as it can complete his character's redemption.
Story details for Drago are being kept quiet, though it's known screenwriter Robert Lawton will pen the story. It feels reasonably safe to assume the story will further explore the relationship between Lundgren's - who had a fake Van Damme feud - Ivan Drago and Viktor as the latter continues his boxing career. This spin-off could also further flesh out what happened to Drago in the years following Rocky IV when he had to care for his son on his own and live with the sense of shame he felt after Rocky's victory.
There's a lot of rich material a Drago spin-off could explore, and it's the Rocky franchise's best option to test out further stories. The movie can also explore the human side of Drago that emerged at the end of Creed 2. Drago was tough on Viktor throughout his life and essentially used him as a means to redeem himself, so the spin-off can dig into the reconciliation between the two men and - like Rocky Balboa was about the title character finding a life beyond boxing - Ivan moving on from his past.
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