History Heartwarming / Creed2015

!!The film

%%!! The band
%%* "With Arms Wide Open."

!! The band
* "With Arms Wide Open."

!!Meta
* The film's plot is heartwarming, as we see Rocky passing the torch.
** Furthermore, the sheer number of subtle to obvious allusions to the past ''Rocky'' movies is both extraordinary and touching. Creator/RyanCoogler and company [[ShownTheirWork really went all out]] to delight not only a new generation of fans, but also the people who grew up watching Rocky from the beginning.
* Creator/MichaelBJordan (who earlier the same year had suffered the indignity of ''Film/{{Fantastic Four|2015}}''), saying that he'd absolutely be up for doing more ''Creed'' films, and he's just as excited as the fans to see where Adonis could go from here. [[Film/CreedIII And by 2023]] [[DirectedByCastMember he's now gotten himself in the director's seat!]]
* Both Coogler and Creator/SylvesterStallone himself have said that the film is a personal dedication to Stallone's oldest son Sage, who died of a heart attack when the film was in pre-production. Also, the picture that Donny sees of Rocky's son midway through the film is a RealLife picture of Sage, wearing boxing gloves and posing with Stallone in front of a punching bag. Coogler insisted on using the picture since he thought it wouldn’t be right [[TearJerker not to have a representation of Sage in the movie.]]
* In the wake of Stallone controversially receiving the film's only acting nomination (in the second year in a row where every single one of them was white), he offered Ryan Coogler to boycott the ceremony just like several black celebrities were planning, saying it was entirely thanks to Coogler that the nomination happened. Coogler in turn told him to go, and represent the film for them all.

** The above moment hits all the more when, if you recall, that in ''Film/Rocky III'', Rocky got his fire back training with Apollo; and in the same vein in ''Film/RockyV'', when Mickey (in a flashback) admits that Rocky saved his life, too.

* Creator/MichaelBJordan (who earlier the same year had suffered the indignity of ''Film/{{Fantastic Four|2015}}''), saying that he'd absolutely be up for doing more ''Creed'' films, and he's just as excited as the fans to see where Adonis could go from here.

** Adonis could really be credited for saving Rocky's life. had Adonis not found Rocky, Rocky would have no motivation to fight his cancer. Adonis was the one who stuck by him through it all, without him, Rocky would have slowly accepted his fate and pass away.

* After the last fight, Adonis is asked what he would say to his father if he were here tonight. The look on Donnie's face makes it clear that he never thought of that question until now, and the first thing he says is that he would tell his father that he loves him, and that he's proud to be a Creed.

** When she gives him a pair of boxing shorts styled after Apollo's [[WearingAFlagOnYourHead iconic American flag ones]] right before the climactic bout, the card attached to the gift wrapping is signed "Ma". It doesn't matter if he was a sign of Apollo's infidelity -- Adonis and Mary Anne were as good as mother and son.

* Mary Ann Creed tracked down Adonis and adopted him as her own kid. And it's clear throughout the film that she loves Adonis and he loves her.
** When she gives him a pair of boxing shorts styled after Apollo's [[WearingAFlagOnYourHead iconic American flag ones]] right before the climactic bout, the card attached to the gift wrapping is signed "Ma". It doesn't matter if he was a sign of Apollo's infidelity -- Adonis and Mary Ann were as good as mother and son.
*** And those shorts carry both of his names, Creed and Johnson. Neither Mary Ann nor Rocky are asking Adonis to cast aside his birth mother or his own history to become his father, they're honoring the person he himself has become.

* During the big fight, when Adonis is nearly knocked out; he briefly sees flashes from different moments of his life - the last image? The one that brings him right to his feet? The memory of [Apollo, in his prime, grinning in the middle of a fight with Rocky. As if his old man personally told him to get off his ass and see this thing through.

** Furthermore, the sheer number of subtle to obvious allusions to the past ''Rocky'' movies is both extraordinary and touching. Director Ryan Coogler and company [[ShownTheirWork really went all out]] to delight not only a new generation of fans, but also the people who grew up watching Rocky from the beginning.

* Both Coogler and Stallone himself have said that the film is a personal dedication to Stallone's oldest son Sage, who died of a heart attack when ''Creed'' was in pre-production. Also, the picture that Donny sees of Rocky's son midway through the film is a RealLife picture of Sage, wearing boxing gloves and posing with Stallone in front of a punching bag. Coogler insisted on using the picture since he thought it wouldn’t be right [[TearJerker not to have a representation of Sage in the movie.]]
* In the wake of Stallone controversially receiving the film's only acting nomination (in the second year in a row where every single one of them was white), he offered Ryan Coogler to boycott the ceremony just like several black celebrities were planning, saying it was entirely thanks to Coogler that the nomination happened. Coogler in turn told him to go, and represent the film for them all.

* Very shortly after meeting Rocky, Adonis starts calling him "Unc'." Rocky doesn't object.