Sylvester Stallone not returning for Creed 3 has made headlines, but he is not the only Rocky character missing who should have appeared. The third film in the Creed franchise is much more separated from the original Rocky franchise than the previous two installments. Michael B. Jordan's Adonis Creed officially stepped out of Rocky Balboa's shadow with Creed 3, which earned rave reviews and had the franchise's biggest box office opening. The movie focuses primarily on Adonis and the new characters that the Creed films have introduced instead of relying on more connections to older Rocky movies.
For as great as Creed 3 is, the missing Rocky franchise characters have been a big point of discussion. It marks the first time that Sylvester Stallone did not appear in an installment of the franchise he created. The separation from the Rocky movies is really felt when Creed 3 kills Mary Anne Creed, Apollo's wife and Adonis' adopted mother. Not only did this mean killing a character who has been part of the franchise since the first film, but it also made Rocky's absence more noticeable. Sylvester Stallone not returning has understandably grabbed headlines, but Creed 3 also makes it strange that Ivan Drago does not appear.
Ivan Drago Doesn’t Return In Creed 3 - But His Son Does
Dolph Lundgren's Ivan Drago is another Rocky franchise character missing from Creed 3, despite there being a good reason for him to appear. Audiences saw the Rocky IV villain again for the first time since 1985 in Creed II, which was released 33 years later. Ivan Drago's return made him a more sympathetic character and gave him redemption, and it left the door open for him to return again. This should have happened in Creed 3, as Ivan Drago missing from the story while his son Viktor returns is quite confusing.
Viktor Drago returns for a supporting role in Creed 3 as Florian Munteanu's character is originally the challenger for the world heavyweight championship. The movie shows Viktor in the United States as he prepares for the fight against Felix Chavez, but it is not explained why Ivan Drago is not with him. When the two characters were last seen in Creed 2's ending, Ivan was still helping train Viktor. To see his son preparing for one of the biggest fights of his life without Ivan by his side is odd. Creed 3 had an easy road to include Ivan Drago.
Dolph Lundgren Will Return As Ivan For Drago Spinoff Movie
The good news for Ivan Drago's future in the Rocky franchise is that he is scheduled to return. MGM and Amazon are developing a Drago spinoff movie that will bring Dolph Lundgren back as the Rocky 4 villain. Florian Munteanu's Viktor Drago is also expected to lead the Creed spinoff movie. There are no plot details available at this time, but the development of a Drago movie with Dolph Lundgren does ensure that audiences have not seen the last of the Rocky character. The movie should even help explain why Ivan Drago was missing from Creed 3 by revealing what he was up to during this time.