Who is Creed‘s Real Mom?
The mother of Adonis "Donnie" Creed is an unnamed woman referred to only as "Miss Johnson" in the franchise. She had a brief affair with Apollo Creed, resulting in Donnie‘s conception shortly before Apollo‘s death in 1985. After Miss Johnson passed away herself, Apollo‘s widow Mary Anne Creed adopted and raised the boy from 1998 onward.
Mary Anne Creed – Adoptive Mother of Adonis
As Apollo Creed‘s wife of over 20 years, Mary Anne Creed found herself in the complicated position of taking in her husband‘s illegitimate child after both his biological parents had died. Though likely hurt from Apollo‘s infidelity, she showed grace and compassion by giving Donnie a loving home.
Raising the secret son of her famous boxer husband can‘t have been easy. Yet Phylicia Rashad‘s nuanced performance suggests Mary Anne balanced her lingering grief over Apollo with a sincere devotion to his mini-doppelganger.
"You are a part of him," she tells a hesitant Donnie in Creed (2015). "You‘re the best part."
This drive to nurture Apollo‘s legacy may have shaped Donnie‘s eventual boxing career. In interviews, Michael B. Jordan suggests Mary Anne subtly pushed Donnie toward the sport from a young age by surrounding him with Apollo‘s paraphernalia and murals glorifying his prowess in the ring.
"She dressed him, acted as his de facto father, and influenced the man he‘d become," Jordan said.
Indeed, Mary Anne‘s mothering creates the movie‘s central drama – whether Donnie can forge his own path out from Apollo‘s formidable shadow.
Miss Johnson – The Mystery Birth Mother
Far less is known about Adonis‘ birth mom, the enigmatic Miss Johnson. Based on Donnie‘s June 1, 1986 birthday coming just months before Apollo died in August 1985, she likely had a short-lived fling with the boxing superstar resulting in her pregnancy.
But what drew Apollo to cheat on his wife of 20+ years? How did Miss Johnson view their tryst – a genuine romance, or transaction for possible financial support? What was her background, occupation, her struggles? Why did she keep Apollo‘s unborn son a secret from the world? The films leave little clues to piece together her intriguing yet tragic story.
Perhaps she intended to somehow provide for the child alone while allowing Apollo‘s fame to shine undimmed. Or she may have hoped introducing Creed‘s secret kid would bring her money or spotlight.
Whatever Miss Johnson‘s motivations, her early death just after Donnie turned 12 robbed him of knowing his biological roots. The loss possibly fuels his later conflicts over identity as well as initial reluctance accepting Mary Anne‘s help – without his birth mom‘s context, how can he know who he really is?
Siblings Living in Apollo‘s Shadow
Though rarely shown, Apollo Creed had two other biological children with wife Mary Anne who grew up alongside adoptive half-brother Donnie. Early scenes in Creed (2015) give glimpses of family pictures featuring Creed‘s daughter and unnamed oldest son.
Later dialogue confirms Adonis at times felt excluded by his siblings, likely harder for them to embrace this walking reminder of their father‘s indiscretion. Yet Mary Anne notes all her children treated boxing icon Apollo more as a towering legend than vulnerable family man.
"Damian was more of a father to you than Apollo ever was to any of you," Mary Anne poignantly tells Adonis at one point.
This contrasts Rocky‘s close relationship shown with son Robert in prior films. Another layer to Donnie lacking support systems early on and fueling his underdog narrative.
While Donnie‘s half-siblings remain periphery characters, might future Creed films show them playing a larger role? The fraught bonds between a famous father‘s legitimate and illegitimate kids seen in popular shows like Succession suggest rich territory for family dramas.
My Take – A New Dimension to an Iconic Franchise
As a passionate gamer and Rocky franchise fan, I find Donnie‘s origin story masterfully expands the series‘ central motifs of identity, family ties, and overcoming outcast odds. Breaking the heroic Apollo mold, Michael B. Jordan brings a grittier, more complex portrayal in Creed reflecting modern values.
Where Rocky centered on an intimated Everyman battered by socioeconomic troubles, Donnie‘s youthful brashness, fragmented relations with his adoptive siblings and father figures, and struggles for independence resonate strongly with current culture. He has both privilege and baggage from his flashy secret heritage, along with hit songs, slick clothes, and ambition to set his own trends. Yet paralyzing self-doubt, fears of betrayal, and impatience being eclipsed by his larger-than-life dad all show his vulnerabilities.
This rich characterization and family drama adds a vital contemporary slant reinventing stale Rocky tropes. Questions around Donnie‘s ambivalent bond with shadowy birth mom and distant siblings promise even more potential in possible sequels. I for one can‘t wait to see what happens next for Adonis Creed as he fights his way out of 1970‘s icon Apollo‘s headspace into the bold 2020‘s.
