Sylvester Stallone may have removed Paulie’s robot butler SICO from his Rocky IV Director’s Cut, much to the chagrin of the fan favorite’s creator, but the extended and expanded version of the 1985 smash hit is set to feature one of the franchise’s biggest icons in a more significant role.
Now officially titled Rocky v. Drago: The Ultimate Director’s Cut, Stallone has been working on the project since early last year, and it was recently confirmed to be playing in theaters for one night only before coming to digital on November 12. Fans have been salivating at the prospect of the ultimate 1980s cheesefest returning in even longer and more glorious form, and the trailer confirmed that Burgess Meredith’s Mickey will have a much bigger presence in the all-new version of the film.
A mainstay of the first three entries before he died in Rocky III, Mickey appears in the theatrical edition of Rocky IV through archival footage only. In the trailer for the Director’s Cut, though, we see the grizzled trainer appearing in one of Rocky’s memories, urging him to get back up off the canvas during his fight with Drago.
The footage of Mickey is repurposed from a Rocky V flashback, but takes on a whole new meaning now that it’s been placed in the previous installment. A combination of nostalgia trip and fan service, Rocky v. Drago: The Ultimate Director’s Cut is going to be appointment viewing for those with an affinity for the Italian Stallion.