Thirty-three years after his defeat to Rocky Balboa, Rocky IV villain Ivan Drago makes his return this November as Dolph Lundgren reprises his role as the Russian from the 1985 sequel for Creed II.

The follow-up to 2015’s acclaimed Rocky spinoff sees things getting personal as Michael B. Jordan’s Adonis Creed is pitted against Viktor Drago (Florian Munteanu), the son of the man responsible for killing his own father Apollo during their Rocky IV exhibition match.

Creed II will mark a welcome return to the big screen for Lundgren, but as he reveals to Look, he was initially reluctant to revisit the character, only to be convinced by the script by Sylvester Stallone and Cheo Hodari Coker (Luke Cage):

“It was a bit strange. It’s a bit weird. At first I didn’t want to do it because I thought it would be kind of sad,” said Lundgren. “I didn’t want to hurt that image because it’s like an iconic character that people, especially people who work out, really look up to this guy. But the script was really good and I get a chance to show another side of the same man 35 years later, and more of a damaged, struggling side. I used some of my own life that I’ve been through the last 35 years in this character so it’s kind of full circle. So it turned out to be a really great experience for me. A real dramatic challenge but also a great experience to look back at my own career the way he looks back at his career as a fighter. There are some parallels that I think are kind of unique.”

SEE ALSO: First trailer for Creed II pits Adonis against Drago

Life has become a balancing act for Adonis Creed. Between personal obligations and training for his next big fight, he is up against the challenge of his life. Facing an opponent with ties to his family’s past only intensifies his impending battle in the ring. Rocky Balboa is there by his side through it all and, together, Rocky and Adonis will confront their shared legacy, question what’s worth fighting for, and discover that nothing’s more important than family. Creed II is about going back to basics to rediscover what made you a champion in the first place, and remembering that, no matter where you go, you can’t escape your history.

Creed II is set for release on November 21st, and sees Steven Caple Jr. directing a cast that includes Michael B. Jordan (Adonis Creed), Sylvester Stallone (Rocky), Tessa Thompson (Bianca), Dolph Lundgren (Ivan Drago), Florian Munteanu (Viktor Drago), Phylicia Rashad (Mary Anne), Wood Harris (Tony ‘Little Duke’ Evers), Andre Ward (Danny ‘Stuntman’ Wheeler) and Russell Hornsby (Buddy Marcelle).