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Creed 2: Brigette Nielsen May Make An Appearance
Creed II looks set to feature an appearance by Brigette Nielsen, reprising her role as Ludmilla Drago from Rocky IV. It seemed the Rocky series came to end with 2006’s Rocky Balboa, which featured the aging, titular character coming out of retirement for one last bout. That changed when plans were announced for a spin-off titled Creed, which would feature Rocky acting as a mentor to the son of his late rival/friend Apollo Creed.
Creed proved to be a great movie in its own right, featuring excellent performances and direction from Ryan Coogler (Black Panther). Creed II will pick up with Adonis (Michael B. Jordan) being pitted against Viktor Drago (Florian Munteanu) – whose father Ivan killed Apollo Creed during a boxing match. Dolph Lundgren will return as iconic villain Ivan, who will act as his son’s trainer in the sequel.
Now it seems another key Rocky IV performer will be returning, with Philadelphia based photographer Hugh E. Dillion reporting Brigette Nielsen landed in the city to film an appearance in Creed II. Nielsen played Ludmilla Drago in Rocky IV, the icy wife of Ivan; if she’s coming back for Creed II, that likely makes her the mother of Viktor too.
Nielsen’s role hasn’t been confirmed by the production yet, so it’s best to take this news with a grain of salt for now. Nielsen appeared in a number of high-profile movies throughout the 1980’s, include Red Sonja, Cobra, and Beverly Hills Cop II. She was also married to Sylvester Stallone for a few years during the decade and was set to appear as She-Hulk in a cancelled film in the 1990s.
Fans of Creed have been a little worried about the sequel’s close ties to the plot of Rocky IV. While that entry is considered an entertainingly cheesy instalment, it’s fairly cartoonish and over the top compared to the rest of the series. Creed did a lot to ground the death of Apollo, exploring the impact it had on his widow and Adonis, who never actually met his legendary father. Rocky was also left racked with guilt in the aftermath of the fight, since he didn’t stop it when he had a chance, leading to Rocky fighting Drago in Russia.
Bringing back the Drago family for Creed II has potential, since it can also explore the aftermath of Ivan’s defeat in Rocky IV, and if he feels any regret over Apollo’s death. Reuniting Rocky and Drago also has rich emotional potential, and considering both Stallone and Lundgren have been training hard for the sequel, perhaps the former rivals will come to blows again?
