Michael B. Jordan’s 11 Year Old Masterpiece Sports Drama Officially Leaves Netflix in 5 Days

The bell is about to ring on Creed at Netflix. Ryan Coogler’s acclaimed 2015 sports drama starring Michael B. Jordan and Sylvester Stallone leaves Netflix in the U.S. after August 31, 2026, giving subscribers five days to catch one of the strongest chapters in the Rocky franchise. Netflix added the film on June 1 alongside the rest of the boxing saga (per Vogue). And Adonis Creed isn’t leaving the ring alone. The entire Creed trilogy is exiting Netflix at the same time, meaning Creed II and Jordan’s directorial debut Creed III also have August 31 as their final day. In fact, all six Rocky movies are departing too, removing the complete nine-film Rocky/Creed saga from the service on September 1.

Calling the original an 11-year-old masterpiece isn’t merely throwing around superlatives. Creed holds a 95% Rotten Tomatoes score and a 7.6/10 IMDb rating, while Stallone’s return as Rocky Balboa earned him an Academy Award nomination.

Michael B. Jordan’s Creed Gives Rocky’s Legacy a New Champion

Michael B. Jordan in Creed / Credits: Warner Bros. Pictures

Creed could easily have been a reheated Rocky sequel. Ryan Coogler instead shifts the franchise’s center of gravity. Michael B. Jordan plays Adonis Johnson, the son of late heavyweight champion Apollo Creed. Adonis never knew his father and initially fights under his mother’s surname, determined to earn his stripes without cashing in on Apollo’s reputation. His ambitions eventually take him to Philadelphia, where he convinces his father’s former rival and friend Rocky Balboa to train him.

The arrangement soon cuts both ways. While Rocky prepares Adonis for his shot against world champion Ricky Conlan, Rocky is diagnosed with cancer. Adonis agrees to keep fighting only if his mentor does the same. Coogler therefore makes the boxing matter without allowing it to swallow the drama. Adonis is fighting to establish an identity separate from Apollo; Rocky, grieving Adrian and Paulie, has to decide whether he still has something worth fighting for.

Audiences showed up. Creed opened to roughly $29 million domestically and became successful enough to launch its own trilogy (per AP News). Its critical standing has proved equally durable, with Rotten Tomatoes still listing it at 95% more than a decade later.

The Creed Trilogy Became a $664M Knockout

Sylvester Stallone with Michael B. Jordan in Creed (2015)

Michael B. Jordan didn’t simply inherit Rocky. Across three films, Adonis gradually stepped out of Balboa’s shadow. Creed II (2018) brings the franchise’s history back with a vengeance by pitting Adonis against Viktor Drago, son of Ivan Drago, the Soviet boxer who killed Apollo in Rocky IV. Steven Caple Jr.’s sequel consequently turns Adonis’ championship ambitions into unfinished family business while also bringing Rocky and Ivan face-to-face decades after their famous bout.

Creed III (2023) cuts the cord further. Stallone does not appear, Adonis has retired, and an old friend named Damian Anderson resurfaces after spending 18 years in prison. Their shared history ultimately drags Adonis back into the ring. Jordan also moved behind the camera for his feature directorial debut. The gamble paid off. Creed III scored a franchise-best $58.7 million domestic opening weekend, more than doubling the first movie’s $29 million debut, and received an A- CinemaScore.

Collectively, the three Creed movies have grossed more than $664.5 million worldwide (per The Numbers), helping push the wider Rocky/Creed franchise beyond $1.1 billion. Netflix subscribers therefore have enough time for one last three-film marathon before the final bell. 

Creed, Creed II and Creed III have their final day on Netflix on August 31, 2026.