Tron enthusiasts have a thrilling reason to mark their calendars for October 2025. The beloved franchise, after a significant hiatus, is set to dazzle audiences once again with the release of the new sequel, Tron: Ares. This third installment features Jared Leto as the titular character, a program embarking on a high-stakes mission from the digital realm to the real world, shrouded in mystery and intrigue.
Is Ares truly a sequel to Tron: Legacy? Visually, the connection is undeniable. The newly released trailer showcases the unmistakable aesthetic that fans loved in 2010's Tron: Legacy. With Nine Inch Nails taking over from Daft Punk, the film promises to maintain the franchise's signature electronica-heavy soundtrack, which is as crucial as ever to the Tron experience.
Yet, in several ways, Ares appears to be more of a soft reboot than a direct sequel. The absence of key characters from Legacy raises questions. Why are stars Garrett Hedlund and Olivia Wilde not returning for Ares? And why is Jeff Bridges, the only confirmed returning cast member from the previous Tron movies, making a comeback? Let's delve deeper into how Legacy set the stage for a sequel and why Ares seems to be charting a different course.
TRON: Ares Images
2 ImagesGarrett Hedlund’s Sam Flynn & Olivia Wilde’s Quorra
Tron: Legacy centers around the intertwined journeys of Garrett Hedlund's Sam Flynn and Olivia Wilde's Quorra. Sam, the son of Jeff Bridges' character, Kevin Flynn, is the CEO of Encom who vanished in 1989. In Legacy, Sam ventures into The Grid, a digital world, to rescue his father and thwart Kevin's creation, CLU, from invading the real world with a digital army.
Upon reuniting with his father, Sam encounters Quorra, an ISO—a digital lifeform that spontaneously emerged in The Grid. Quorra symbolizes the possibility of life within a computer simulation. By the film's end, Sam defeats CLU and returns to the real world with Quorra, who has transformed into a living, breathing being.
Legacy leaves a clear path for a sequel, with Sam ready to take on his role as Encom's largest shareholder, aiming to steer the company towards a more open-source future, while Quorra represents the marvels of the digital realm. The home video release even included a short film, "Tron: The Next Day," showcasing Sam's return to Encom to usher in a new era.
Despite this setup, neither Hedlund nor Wilde are returning for Tron: Ares. Their absence is notable, especially considering Disney's potential desire to steer the franchise in a more standalone direction following Legacy's $409.9 million worldwide gross on a $170 million budget. While not a failure, it fell short of Disney's expectations, much like other films of its era such as John Carter and The Lone Ranger, before the studio's focus shifted towards Marvel and Star Wars.
However, Sam and Quorra are pivotal to the Tron narrative. Are we to believe Sam abandoned his mission at Encom? Did Quorra tire of the real world and return to The Grid? The absence of these characters creates a significant gap in the franchise, and we hope Ares finds a way to acknowledge their importance, perhaps through unexpected cameos.
Cillian Murphy’s Edward Dillinger, Jr.
The absence of Cillian Murphy, who briefly appeared as Edward Dillinger, Jr., in Legacy, is equally puzzling. Dillinger, Jr., was set up as a major antagonist in a potential sequel, opposing Sam's open-source vision at Encom, much like his father did in the original Tron. The Ares trailer hints at the return of the Master Control Program (MCP), with Ares and other programs marked by the MCP's signature red glow. This suggests a darker theme to Ares' mission, yet the absence of Dillinger, Jr., remains unexplained, especially with Gillian Anderson's new character taking center stage at Encom.
Evan Peters' role as Julian Dillinger indicates the Dillinger family's continued involvement, and it's possible Murphy might still appear in Ares, considering his uncredited role in Legacy.
Bruce Boxleitner’s Tron
The most surprising omission from Tron: Ares is Bruce Boxleitner, who played both Alan Bradley and the heroic security program Tron in the original film, reprising the Alan role in Legacy. The fate of Tron, reprogrammed as Rinzler in Legacy, remains open-ended, and his absence from Ares raises questions about the film's direction. Is Tron being recast, perhaps with Cameron Monaghan taking on the role? Regardless, a Tron movie without Tron feels incomplete, and we hope Ares addresses this iconic character's redemption arc.
Why Is Jeff Bridges in Tron: Ares?
Jeff Bridges' return to Tron: Ares is the most intriguing aspect of the sequel, given that both his characters, Kevin Flynn and CLU, were killed off in Legacy. His voice is heard in the trailer, but it's unclear whether he's reprising Kevin Flynn or a version of CLU. Did CLU survive their mutual destruction? Did Flynn create a backup of CLU? Or has Flynn achieved some form of digital immortality? These questions will likely be answered in Ares, along with the nature of Ares' mission and his potential alliances with Flynn, CLU, or the MCP.
While we eagerly anticipate Tron: Ares, the absence of key Legacy characters leaves us puzzled. However, the promise of a new NIN score provides a tantalizing glimpse into what's in store.
In other Tron news, fans can look forward to the franchise's return to gaming with the innovative Tron: Catalyst, blending elements of Metroid and Hades for a unique experience.
