Dolph Lundgren has revealed one scene in Creed II changed his relationship with Sylvester Stallone after more than three decades of viewing the Rocky legend as “the boss.”
Speaking during a sit-down interview with Graham Bensinger, Lundgren recalled the only time he challenged Stallone after the Hollywood icon rewrote one of the film’s most important scenes.
It proved to be a turning point in their relationship.
Creed II Scene
Lundgren explained that the original script featured an emotional exchange between Ivan Drago and Rocky Balboa that finally revealed what had happened to the former Soviet fighter after his crushing defeat in Rocky IV.
Stallone then rewrote the scene.
“The film you’re talking about is Creed II, where I play Ivan Drago again, my character from Rocky IV,” Lundgren told Bensinger.
“There is a scene, which is a wonderful scene in the script between Rocky and Drago, this scene over a table.
“I loved this scene in the original script. It was really great because my character finally kind of opens up about what happened to him after Rocky IV, why he’s done what he’s done for these past 40 years.
“Sly had started rewriting it. He’s a good writer, but I didn’t agree with some of the writing.”
Lundgren said director Steven Caple Jr. stayed out of the disagreement.
“The director’s this young guy, Steven Caple. Nice guy, but obviously he didn’t want to get in the fight between me and Sly. He got a little scared, so he stayed out of it.”
Lundgren Refused to Compromise
For the first time in their working relationship, Lundgren refused to compromise.
“It was the first time I kind of stood up to Sly because he’d always been my boss and older brother. I always deferred to him.
“But in this case, I didn’t. I stood by my guns.”
After almost two hours of rehearsing and debating the scene, Stallone finally relented.
“After about two hours of rehearsing and arguing, Sly said something like, ‘Okay, can we shoot this thing now?’”
“I realized, okay, I got my way pretty much.
“I think it turned out to be a pretty good scene.”
Mutual Respect
After more than 30 years working alongside Stallone, the discussion became about far more than one rewritten scene.
Stallone has long been regarded as the driving creative force behind the Rocky franchise, making Lundgren’s decision to stand his ground all the more meaningful.
More importantly, the disagreement ended with mutual respect.
“He was good about it,” Lundgren said.
“Afterwards, he came over and gave me a tap on the back.
“It was a nice moment because it was the first time that we’d acted kind of as equals. Before, he was always my boss.”
The pair first shared the screen in 1985 when Lundgren burst onto the world stage as Ivan Drago in Rocky IV. Nearly four decades later, one conversation during the making of Creed II transformed the dynamic between them. Lundgren no longer saw Stallone simply as his boss. For the first time, they stood as equals.
About the Author
Phil Jay is the Editor-in-Chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a veteran boxing reporter with 16 years of experience. He has interviewed world champions, broken international exclusives, and reported ringside since 2010. World Boxing News has been a trusted source for boxing news, interviews, and features since its launch in 2010.
