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In 'Creed 2,' Ivan Drago's son will be played by an actual boxer

"Creed 2" will begin filming in Philly in March, and is set for release Nov. 21.

Michael B. Jordan as Adonis Johnson in “Creed.” “Creed 2” filming begins in March.
Michael B. Jordan as Adonis Johnson in “Creed.” “Creed 2” filming begins in March.Read moreBarry Wetcher / Warner Bros. Pictures

The next film in the Rocky franchise, Creed 2, is set to start filming soon here in Philadelphia, and it looks like villain Ivan Drago's son is coming along for the ride.

German-Romanian boxer Florian "Big Nasty" Munteanu will portray Drago's son in the film opposite Michael B. Jordan as Adonis Creed, son of Apollo Creed, Sylvester Stallone confirmed via Instagram. Rocky fans, of course, will remember that the elder Drago killed Apollo in a boxing match in 1985's Rocky IV, so revenge may finally be afoot, though plot details have not been revealed.

"Congratulations to Florian 'Big Nasty' Munteanu for getting the part as IVAN DRAGOS son," Stallone wrote on Instagram.

Munteanu, 27, is a newcomer to the film world, with IMDB listing just one previous appearance in Borgat, a 2016 German short. He is, however, a noted professional heavyweight boxer and model, standing 6 foot 4 and weighing in at 245 pounds. According to a casting agency profile, Munteanu earned a bachelor's degree in sports, media, and event management from the University of Munich in 2014.

Dolph Lundgren, who played Ivan Drago in Rocky IV, earned a degree in chemical engineering from the Royal Institute of Technology and studied karate before being cast in the film. He joined Rocky IV as an unknown, having only filmed a bit part in the 1985 James Bond flick, A View to a Kill. Since then, Lundgren's career grew to include dozens of roles, and he also will appear in Creed 2.

Creed 2 features an original screenplay from Stallone and Luke Cage showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker, as well as directing from The Land's Steven Caple Jr. The film comes several years after the 2015 release of Creed, which earned $173 million at the box office worldwide on a $35 million budget. Stallone, who reprised his role as Rocky Balboa for the film and will again in Creed 2, received an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor that year.

Creed 2 will begin filming in Philly in March, and is set for release Nov. 21.