How to make sure that 'Creed II' doesn't squander the original

There have been heightened rumors -- especially thanks to a flurry of social media activity on Sylvester Stallone's part -- that not only is a sequel to the hit extension of the Rocky franchise Creed in the works, but that it will likely feature some sort of return of the Ivan Drago character -- originally played by Dolph Lundgren in 1985's Rocky IV.

This actually makes a lot of sense if you're a devotee of the original Rocky movies like I am.

Much of the dramatic motivation behind Adonis Creed's (played by Michael B. Jordan) embrace of boxing was inspired by the tragic death of his prizefighter father in the ring at the hands of Drago.

And while Drago was never mentioned by name in that 2015 film, he certainly survived the events of the 1985 film and there's no reason to think he's not alive and kicking somewhere in Eastern Europe, perhaps in hiding after his stunning defeat at the hands of Rocky Balboa, during which he was a human stand-in for all of Soviet Russia.

I have long felt that the inevitable, natural progression of the Creed narrative should/would take him to Russia to face the man who killed his father. Besides providing a dramatic and unpredictable new setting to see Jordan's character, it would also provide plenty of material for Stallone to chew on as well, since his bout with Drago took a real physical toll on him (if you accept the narrative of the dreary Rocky V) and because presumably his character still feels a requisite amount of guilt for failing to "throw the damn towel" to save Apollo Creed's life back in '85.

So far there has been not a single peep out of Jordan or Creed director Ryan Coogler about this concept (although in the past, they both have suggested they'd be down to do a sequel).

But, right now, all we have to go on is the posts Stallone has shared hinting at a Drago-themed plotline.

Here are a couple things that worry me. Although I thought Rocky Balboa was great, taking the keys to this franchise away from Stallone was one of the shrewdest decisions that could have been made to both protect the characters and also to revive its legacy.

Stallone is far from the subtlest director, and I fear that if he takes over the reigns the series will go for bombast and lose some of the style and versatility that Coogler brought to the table. I'm also troubled that in one TMZ interview Stallone implied that the new film might feature him fighting, which I simply don't want to see. Stallone is 71 now, and while I'm sure he's in great shape, we don't need to see him step into the ring yet again.

One of the things that made his Oscar-nominated performance in Creed so refreshing and moving was that for the first time ever Stallone actually played his age on screen and appeared vulnerable. Turning him back into some sort of macho Expendable would totally squander the good will his last major performance engendered.

I am also super excited about the prospect of Adonis Creed fighting some sort of proxy for Drago -- like his son. I might get past this depending on how the story is told or that part is cast, but to me a far more powerful confrontation would be between Creed and the man who literally killed his father, played by Lundgren.

Sure, Lundgren is 59 now and certainly not the specimen he was in 1985, but he also hasn't totally let himself go. I am sure he could train with Stallone to get a little more ripped just in time for a 2018 release date.

Of course, there's a case to be made that we don't need another Rocky-themed franchise, and with Coogler moving on to Marvel's Black Panther, there may not be. But if it has to happen, and commerce may dictate that it does, it should be a movie motivated by character not action, and the character of Adonis Creed still has unfinished business when it comes to the death of his father.

And that business may just be in Russia.