The story opens with a glimpse of a young boy named Adonis “Donnie” Johnson, growing up in juvenile detention because of his violent impulsiveness and lack of guidance. He is visited by Mary Anne Creed, the widow of heavyweight champion Apollo Creed, who reveals that Apollo was his biological father and offers to adopt him. Donnie is given a second chance and raised in comfort, yet he remains restless and haunted by the name he carries and the legacy he has never known.
As an adult, Donnie has a successful corporate job in Los Angeles at a finance firm, but the cubicle life leaves him unfulfilled. He secretly fights amateur bouts in Tijuana under an alias, racking up knock‑out victories. Eventually he quits his job to pursue his dream of becoming a professional boxer, despite Mary Anne’s fear that the sport took Apollo’s life. Donnie believes he must walk his father’s path in order to prove himself.
Donnie moves to Philadelphia to seek out the legendary Rocky Balboa, who was Apollo’s rival‑turned‑friend and now lives quietly, running a small restaurant and dealing with the scars of his past. At first Rocky refuses to train him, saying he has already done what he needed to in the ring and is tired of the fight. But Donnie’s persistence, his hunger, and their shared connection to Apollo slowly break through Rocky’s defenses. Eventually Rocky agrees, not just as a trainer but as a mentor, helping Donnie shape his identity.
In the ring, Donnie faces his biggest challenge yet: world‑light‑heavyweight champion Pretty Ricky Conlan from Liverpool. The fight is set in Conlan’s home turf, raising the stakes and pressure. Donnie fights bravely, taking hits and pushing back, even knocking Conlan down. Though he loses by split decision, the outcome is more complicated: Donnie wins respect, pride and proves that his name, Creed, carries not just weight but hope. The fight echoes the legacy of Apollo’s own struggles and Rocky’s earlier battles.
Outside the ring, the film explores themes of identity, legacy and what it means to be your own person while carrying the burden of someone else’s name. Donnie’s relationship with singer‑songwriter Bianca Taylor, whose hearing is deteriorating, adds emotional depth; she struggles with her own limitations even as she supports him. Meanwhile, Rocky faces his mortality and the consequences of all the fights in his past, which impact his body and spirit. The film doesn’t shy away from the reality that boxing is brutal, and beyond that, that personal demons and fear of legacy matter just as much.
In the end, Creed is a story of starting over and redefining what legacy means. Donnie might be Apollo Creed’s son, but the film argues that legacy is not simply inherited—it must be earned. Rocky, once the underdog, now becomes the wise coach; Donnie, once restless and uncertain, becomes the man who stands on his own two feet. The final image of the two climbing the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art together signals that the fight isn’t just about a belt, but about respect, family and moving forward.
