This is Heavyweight Boxer Florian Munteanu. He's Playing Ivan Dragos Son in Creed 2.

This is Heavyweight Boxer Florian Munteanu. He's Playing Ivan Drago’s Son in ‘Creed 2’.

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L: Florian Munteanu / Instagram / @bn_munteanu, R: United Artists/Getty Images

Adonis Creed has finally met his match.

Romanian boxer Florian Munteanu has been cast as Michael B. Jordan's opponent in Creed 2, which is expected to begin filming in March 2018, according to Variety.

The shredded boxer will play the son of Ivan Drago, the iconic Russian powerhouse played so formidably by Dolph Lundgren in Rocky IV. Lundgren is confirmed to reprise his role, which had previously only been (very strong) speculation, Variety also reported.

"A huge honor to play in such a big movie," Munteanu wrote in an Instagram post announcing his casting. "I'll promise you this...I'll work my ass of to make this movie unforgettable."

Here's a quick look at Munteanu in action:

Florian Munteanu / Instagram / @Bn_Munteanu

Munteanu joins Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, and Tessa Thompson, who are all returning from the first Creed film.

In the beginning of Rocky IV, the elder Drago kills Adonis’ father, Apollo Creed, in the ring at an exhibition match. It’s likely that Creed 2 will factor heavily around that conflict. Although no plot details have been released, all signs point to a faceoff between Drago's son and Adonis facing off in the boxing ring at some point. The story almost writes itself: The ascendent Creed facing off against the son of his father's killer, and Drago's son seeking revenge for his father's humiliating defeat at the hands of his opponent's coach.

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Steven Caple Jr. is directing the film, which has a script from Stallone and Luke Cage showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker.

The crew will need to have a quick turnaround on the film, since it’s set for a late November release. The first Creed film, which was directed by Black Panther helmer Ryan Coogler, was a critical and box office success, making more than $170 million worldwide.

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Here’s everything you need to know about Munteanu and his massive muscles.

1. Munteanu’s nickname is “Big Nasty”

It fits

A post shared by Florian "Big Nasty" Munteanu (@bn_munteanu) on Jan 15, 2018 at 10:05pm PST

2. This will be Munteanu’s major acting debut

UFC fighter Sage Northcutt had said he'd auditioned for the role, but the producers clearly opted for an actor with more of a physical presence. Northcutt is certainly a shredded specimen, but at 6' and 170lbs, he's not quite as imposing a force as the 6'4", 245-lb Munteanu.

A post shared by Florian "Big Nasty" Munteanu (@bn_munteanu) on Dec 29, 2017 at 10:25am PST

3. Munteanu’s been hinting about a “big project” since Christmas. Guess it was Creed 2:

A post shared by Florian "Big Nasty" Munteanu (@bn_munteanu) on Dec 31, 2017 at 12:37pm PST

4. Munteanu boxes in the heavyweight division—and the guy can really throw a punch:

A post shared by Florian "Big Nasty" Munteanu (@bn_munteanu) on Nov 3, 2017 at 5:37am PDT

5. Munteanu is German-born, although his family has Romanian origins:

A post shared by Florian "Big Nasty" Munteanu (@bn_munteanu) on Dec 1, 2017 at 10:06am PST

6. Did we mention Munteanu is huge?

A post shared by Florian "Big Nasty" Munteanu (@bn_munteanu) on Dec 7, 2017 at 12:55pm PST

Fitness

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January 17, 2018 at 04:56AM