Everything We Know About Tron: Ares

Bryan Wolford

6--7 minutes

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Put your quarter on the cabinet and stake your claim as 'Next,' as Tron: Ares is on the way. Does anyone reading this even understand that reference anymore? After a long delay, we are finally getting a new film in the franchise. The road was rough to finally get back on track, but soon, we'll be back in the virtual world wishing we had a light bike. Here is everything we know about Tron: Ares.

Who Is In It?

Recently, the news that Jeff Bridges would be returning to the franchise made the series' fans rejoice. Even before he came back to the project, the cast list was filled with notable faces and big names. The film is hoping to bring in new fans as well as fans of the other two films. First up is the obvious one:

Jeff Bridges

With the addition of Bridges to the cast, he becomes the only legacy member (so far) of the original films. Interesting, though, as they haven't said who he is playing. Many seem to assume he'll be back as his character from the original film, Kevin Flynn. On IMDB and in reports on his joining the cast, there is no listing that he's coming back as Flynn. Could we see the return of his evil alter ego from Tron: Legacy Clu? Probably not, but it's fun to speculate.

Jared Leto

Everyone's favorite meme vampire, Morbius, is taking center stage for this film. He will play the title character of Ares. With his sometimes ethereal performances in films like Blade Runner: 2049, this seems like a good role for him, as he will embody an AI being sent into the real world. I'm curious to see how he will play the character and what his POV will be like as he experiences the real world for the first time.

Gillian Anderson

Everyone's favorite red-headed FBI Agent, Gillian Anderson, joined the cast, but there has been no word on what her role will be in the film. Could she be the creator of Ares? Makes sense. We saw her as the god of Media in American Gods so she's used to living in a virtual world inside of a screen already.

Others

Other notable names, including Sarah Desjardins, Evan Peters, Cameron Monaghan, Greta Lee, and Jodie Turner-Smith, round out the already stellar cast. With a cast like this, this film is the must-watch film of Fall 2025. With this much talent on screen and behind the camera, hopefully, we can expect a great film. Although a great cast doesn't always mean a great film. With the production team from Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales and Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil involved, they are at least experienced with making high-budget films with a lot of post-production work.

What Took So Long?

Tron: Legacy came out in 2010 and was pretty profitable for a sequel to an 80s film. Why did it take so long to get a follow-up? A lot happened between then and now. The same creative team began work on a sequel just after release. As things went on, it was confirmed that some of the cast members, like Bruce Boxleitner, Olivia Wilde, and Garret Hedlund, would be returning.

In March 2015, the sequel was officially announced, but by May, it was canceled. The reason seemed to be the underperformance of Tommorowland. Executives at Disney said there were still discussions happening about the future of the Tron franchise but nothing seemed to materialize for a sequel. During a 2017 Q&A, Tron: Legacy director Joseph Kosinski stated that he believed the purchase of Marvel and Lucasfilm by Disney took up most of the company's attention.

With major franchises that were guaranteed money-makers, Disney seemed less interested in taking on other films that were riskier investments. If they could make a billion dollars on a new Star Wars film or an Avengers movie, why would they spend $200 million dollars on something that could very well break even? The sequel was officially dead.

Instead, it was later decided to reboot the franchise. Rather than follow up on the previous film, they would tell an all-new story set in the established universe of Tron without having to worry about keeping the story going from the previous films. Just as Tron: Ares was moving forward to film in the summer of 2023, it was delayed once again by the writer and actor strikes. It finally began production on January 1st, 2024, and wrapped on May 1st.

What's It About?

Good question. While a little bit of the story has been revealed, not much is known about the full film. What we do know indicates that this film will flip the typical formula of Tron films. Instead of someone getting pulled into the virtual world (as far as we know), an AI character will make their way into the real world. I'm sure we'll spend time in both settings, but this change could be a welcome one for viewers.

We've seen characters interacting with the virtual world through two movies, and let's be real. Most of us seem to interact more with the virtual world than the real world every day. With the discussion of AI being at the forefront of everyone's mind lately, this is the perfect time to use this subject for the Tron films. It's already a built-in part of the series showing how the over-reliance on computer technology can lead to bad things. We might as well try it again with AI in the real world.

When Can We See It?

Well, the film just wrapped on May 1st, so if you're hoping to rush out to see it before the summer ends, then you're in for some disappointment. You've still got a long wait ahead of you. At the moment, you won't be able to see it until October 10, 2025. As with anything, release dates can change. It could end up being pushed back or, in the rare case, pushed forward.