You might remember how a young Dolph Lundgren was being considered for a supporting role in Rambo: First Blood Part II, but was instead given Rocky IV. Sylvester Stallone, who starred in the movie, experienced a surprise success with the first film, First Blood.

At one point, he offered to buy the negative, so he could destroy the film’s messy first cut because he was so appalled by the film.

The 1982 Ted Kotcheff film underwent extensive re-edits before developing into a suspenseful thriller supported by Stallone’s outstanding performance. However, compared to First Blood’s relatively realistic tone and action, the second film (Rambo: First Blood Part II) adopted a very different style.
Sylvester Stallone

Stallone decided it was time for his beloved title character to do what he does best as he returned to Vietnam when he was creating Rambo: First Blood Part II. By using everything from explosive-tipped arrows to helicopter gunships, the character effectively unleashed hell on his various enemies.

Rocky IV, which starred Sylvester Stallone as the title character against the massive boxer Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren), was also released in 1985, the same year as Rambo: First Blood Part II.

 

What Motivated Sylvester Stallone to Cast Dolph Lundgren in Rocky IV?

Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky IV was also released in 1985, the same year his Rambo: First Blood Part II. Dolph Lundgren’s role as Ivan Drago in Rocky IV, apart from a brief, silent cameo in the James Bond adventure A View To A Kill, catapulted him to overnight fame.

He actually auditioned for both Rocky IV and Rambo: First Blood Part II, and he was given roles in both. Stallone acknowledged that when he first saw then-27-year-old Dolph Lundgren, the aspect of the plot was immediately abandoned. However, at first, he believed that Lundgren was almost too perfect.

Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky
Regarding casting Lundgren as Ivan Drago in Rocky IV, Stallone had the following to say.
“… I said, Everyone’s gonna hate this guy, because he’s flawless. He’s 6-foot-6 and no flaws, no weaknesses. I said, This is interesting, because Rocky’s just the opposite. He’s really flawed. He’s a throwback, and you’re a throw-forward. And we both can fight and we both got styles that were perfectly contrasting. That’s why I think the magic happened, but this one here, is equal or maybe better.”
Dolph Lundgren really wanted the role in Rocky IV, so he chose to follow the advice of his acting coach and adopted a more reserved demeanor that exuded a quiet intensity.

Dolph Lundgren
In a conversation with Yahoo!, Lundgren revealed that he was initially cast in the role of Yushin, a near-mute, hulking Russian who tortures Rambo and later engages him in combat in a helicopter.

Lundgren was eventually cast as Drago after a protracted search, but he was later removed from the Yushin role and Voyo Goric was cast in its place. Although, the two characters are a little too similar, so choosing to play Captain Ivan Drago was probably a good idea.

Stallone and Lundgren frequently reunited, as evidenced by The Expendables trilogy and his overdue comeback as Drago in Creed 2.

 

Dolph Lundgren and Sylvester Stallone in The Expendables

Years after Rocky IV, Dolph Lundgren, and Sylvester Stallone made a comeback on screen for the star-studded performance in The Expendables. In the movie, Lundgren played one of Stallone’s A-list mercenaries, and Stallone both directed and starred in it. But behind the scenes, things were somewhat different.

The Swedish actor claimed that Stallone:
“Was very harsh on me in a scene in The Expendables where he kinda yelled at me in front of the whole crew and had me do about 20 takes on a scene.”

Sylvester Stallone and Dolph Lundgren
But, fortunately, Stallone was said to have expressed regret, and Lundgren explained everything by calling him a “crazy Italian” as the latter further added:
“He knows that I’ve always respected him and loved him, and I think that’s why we’re still friends.”
Stallone and Lundgren have a long history of working together; they first shared the screen in Rocky IV and later in The Expendables, The Expendables 3, and Creed 2. 

Rocky IV, The Expendables, and The Expendables 3 are streaming on Netflix.

 

Source- Screen Rant