Even though Creed II (in terms of quality and excitement) doesn’t manage to eclipse multiple films in the Rocky franchise, the film’s still a box-office smash and a terrifically fun entry. However, Sylvester Stallone has more-than-hinted that he’s ready to go out on a high note, as far as the Rocky Balboa role is concerned. Not only did Stallone post a video that declared the sequel to be “probably my last rodeo,” but he also Instagrammed, “[S]adly all things must pass… and end.” There’s been no official response from Warner Bros. on this (a third Creed film has yet to be announced), but a key player in the franchise isn’t a believer in Stallone’s seeming decision to hang up his gloves.
Dolph Lundgren, who played the Rocky IV nemesis (Ivan Drago) who set out to repair his legacy in Creed II, told Good Morning Britain that he doesn’t think Stallone is really saying goodbye to Rocky. “I’ve heard that before,” Lundgren said (via Digital Spy). “I don’t really believe it, but we’ll see.” Well, he wasn’t alone. Florian Munteanu, who stepped into son Viktor Drago’s shoes in the latest film, also feels skeptical about the news. “I don’t think so either,” he added. “But maybe not the big way that he turned out in the Rocky and the Creed franchise. I think, like, a smaller role maybe.”
It’s hard to imagine the Creed films continuing without at least some brief cameos from Stallone, so let’s hope that Lundgren’s hunch is correct. In the meantime, Stallone is still in the process of reprising his second-most-famous role in Rambo 5, which will feature the titular Vietnam vet and former special forces officer in cowboy attire. In other words, the Italian Stallion isn’t even close to retiring his own career.
Here’s a little bonus in the form of Lundgren uttering one of his most famous Rocky IV lines on Good Morning Britain.
Dolph Lundgren re-enacts this ICONIC Rocky IV moment! pic.twitter.com/z8Ti8hGVZx
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) November 29, 2018
(Via Good Morning Britain & Digital Spy)
