“If he dies, he dies!” is one of the most quoted lines from Rocky IV! This was uttered by the movie’s villain Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren) after he knocked out Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) during an exhibition match. While the Rocky franchise somewhat struggled with its two sequels after that, it gained new life in 2015 with the release of the spinoff Creed. Written and directed by Ryan Coogler, Creed tells the story of Apollo’s illegitimate son Adonis as he tries to make his own name in professional boxing. Starring Michael B. Jordan and Sylvester Stallone, the film was critically acclaimed, earning Sly a Best Supporting Actor nod at the 88th Academy Awards. A sequel was thought to be fast tracked soon after. Well both Coogler and Jordan got busy with Black Panther and the sequel was put on hold.

Recently however Sylvester Stallone took to Instagram with a tease of what the possible storyline for the sequel may be. The post shows a photo of Drago alongside a superimposed image of Adonis with the caption: “Here’s a chance to stretch your imagination … HISTORY WILL ALWAYS REPEAT ITSELF IN ONE FORM OR ANOTHER, JUST GOT TO BE READY! … Sins of the Father….”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BWEa6DRjrBN/

In 2015, Creed grossed $173.6 million at the box office on a budget of $35 million. No word yet on if Ryan Coogler will return to direct the sequel. Hopefully he does as the man is on fire right now. I would love to see him direct the story of Adonis coming face to face with the man who killed his father. Only time will tell.

Creed II is currently slated for release in 2018