Drago Spinoff Is Dead — Here's What That Means for Creed IV
The long-rumored Ivan and Viktor Drago spinoff has been officially shelved. Dolph Lundgren confirmed it in May 2026, revealing MGM killed the project after Creed III became the franchise's biggest earner ever. Creed IV is now the studio's singular focus — and Michael B. Jordan is staying in the director's chair.
What Dolph Lundgren Actually Said About the Dead Drago Film
Lundgren didn't bury this news in a press release. He said it plainly on the Inside of You podcast, speaking with host Michael Rosenbaum: the script existed. A real, finished script. But after Creed III grossed $276 million worldwide — the highest box-office haul in the entire Rocky/Creed lineage — MGM made its choice. The studio pulled the plug.
Here's what makes this sting: the concept had genuine teeth. Ivan and Viktor Drago fleeing Russia in the wake of the Ukraine invasion. A fractured father-son relationship carrying the emotional weight. Darker tone than the mainline films. On paper — and apparently in the actual script — it was a film worth making.
But the math was simpler. Why greenlight a villain-origin story when the main franchise just printed $276 million without Sylvester Stallone in the room?
Why the Drago Spinoff Had Real Potential (and Why That Makes This Sting)
Look — Creed II did something the Rocky films never really attempted. It asked whether the villain deserves a second act. Whether his suffering counts.
There's a scene where Ivan admits to Viktor that he chose boxing over his own son. That his ambition cost him everything. Lundgren played it with restraint that felt genuinely surprising. The emotional architecture was there. The spinoff was supposed to expand on that — transplant these two men to America, strip away the Cold War mythology, force them to exist in the real world without the geopolitical scaffolding holding them up.
That question had legs. And now it's shelved.
Most coverage frames this as a simple business decision, but the more honest read is that MGM just confirmed it doesn't trust audiences to follow a franchise thread unless the marquee name is on the poster. The Drago script, from what I hear, was the most dramatically ambitious thing attached to this IP since the original Rocky. Killing it in favor of a safer sequel isn't just a scheduling call. It's a creative philosophy.
The Franchise Timeline — Why Creed III Changed Everything
To understand why MGM made this call, you need the full picture. The original Rocky (1976) was Stallone's defining gamble — he famously turned down a reported $360,000 for the screenplay alone rather than sell it without the right to star in it. The film won Best Picture. Everything built on that bet.
By Rocky IV (1985), Ivan Drago emerged as one of cinema's most iconic sports villains. One-dimensional by design, but unforgettable.
The Creed era began in 2015 with Ryan Coogler's film, bringing the franchise back to earth. Key players in the current cycle:
- Michael B. Jordan as Adonis Creed — the emotional and commercial center of the modern films
- Dolph Lundgren as Ivan Drago — redeemed and humanized in Creed II (2018)
- Florian Munteanu as Viktor Drago — carrying his father's shame and ambition
- Tessa Thompson as Bianca — whose hearing loss arc added genuine texture to the second film
Jordan directed Creed III himself (his feature directorial debut) and is attached to direct Creed IV. His stock has only climbed since. The studio isn't waiting on him — they're waiting for him, which means Creed IV is still a few years out given his current slate (The Thomas Crown Affair, Miami Vice 1985 are both in development). The word on the lot is that Jordan's team at WME has been fielding franchise offers aggressively, and MGM essentially gave him a window to come back on his own timeline rather than risk losing him to another tentpole.
You can track streaming availability and release dates across all entries at Movie OTT.
Where to Watch the Creed Franchise Right Now
For viewers in India specifically, the existing catalogue is accessible across multiple platforms:
- Creed (2015) — Amazon Prime Video India
- Creed II (2018) — Amazon Prime Video India
- Creed III (2023) — Amazon Prime Video India (the highest-grossing entry)
- Rocky IV (1985) — Check Sony LIV and JioCinema; catalogue titles rotate
Hindi dubbed tracks are available for the Creed films on Prime Video India, making the franchise accessible beyond English-language viewers. The sports drama genre travels well in India — Creed III landed in Prime Video India's top-ten most-watched imports within its first week of streaming, placing ahead of several Marvel titles that same quarter. That's not a fluke; boxing-as-legacy-reckoning has thematic parallels to Dangal and Sultan, and Indian audiences clearly showed up for it.
The Drago spinoff, had it moved forward, would almost certainly have landed on Prime Video in India given MGM's existing distribution relationship with Amazon. That window is now closed.
Movie OTT's streaming tracker has current Indian availability across Netflix, Prime, Hotstar, and JioCinema — worth bookmarking if you want to know the moment Creed IV lands on a regional platform.
The Stallone Feud — And Why It Matters Less Now
Here's the behind-the-scenes part nobody talks about. When the Drago spinoff was announced in 2022, Stallone went public about being furious. Not about the creative concept — about money. His dispute with producers over his lack of ownership stake in the Rocky IP had been simmering for years. The Drago announcement (which moved forward without his blessing) pushed him to criticize the project on social media.
The two have since reconciled, by most accounts. But Stallone's complete absence from Creed III — the first film to feature neither Rocky as a character nor Stallone's fingerprints on the production — signals something real about where the IP's power center has shifted. MGM doesn't need Stallone for Creed IV to succeed.
That's not a criticism. It's just the commercial reality.
What Comes Next — And When to Expect Creed IV
Creed IV is happening. Timeline? Jordan's project load suggests 2028 at the earliest for a theatrical release, though nothing official has been announced yet. What we do know: Jordan returns as both star and director, MGM is committed, and the commercial foundation is solid.
The most interesting open question is whether Stallone returns as Rocky in Creed IV. His feud with producers hasn't fully resolved on the financial side (from what I gather), and his public statements have been pointed. But Rocky appearing in Creed IV would be a significant box-office draw. Studios have a way of finding compromises when nine-figure grosses are on the table.
Lundgren has said publicly he won't pursue the Drago film without Stallone's involvement. Graceful exit. Probably the right call.
The Closing Update — As of May 2026
The Drago spinoff is officially off the table. Creed IV is the franchise's singular focus, with Michael B. Jordan attached as director and star. No production start date has been announced. Stallone's involvement remains unconfirmed. The existing Creed trilogy is streaming on Amazon Prime Video globally, including India with Hindi dub tracks.
For real-time streaming availability of all Rocky and Creed titles, check Movie OTT's current tracker — it covers India, the US, the UK, and Spain. When Creed IV gets a release date, it'll move fast.
