This is probably going to make a lot of you feel very old, but by the time Tron: Ares is released next year, 15 years will have passed since Tron: Legacy took us back to the Grid (which itself was a follow-up to the original 1982 classic).
Can this third chapter, from Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales director Joachim Rønning, live up to fan expectations? There's some uncertainty, particularly with Morbius and Suicide Squad star Jared Leto taking on the title role of Ares. However, the fact the Oscar winner is playing a program who leaves the Grid and enters the real world is undeniably intriguing.
Talking to Empire (via SFFGazette.com), Rønning addressed how the move from Daft Punk to Nine Inch Nails on the soundtrack is indicative of the sci-fi franchise's continued evolution.
"With Nine Inch Nails making the music, this instalment will be a little grittier, a little bit more industrial," the filmmaker tells the site. "It’s been important for me to contrast The Grid and the real world. In that sense, Nine Inch Nails lends itself perfectly into this new Tron world that we are creating."
"What I always look for in any story is a strong emotional core," Rønning adds. "This film will probably be more emotional than people are expecting. It’s about the cost of being human."
Back in September, Jeff Bridges reflected on sharing the screen with Leto. "When Jared played the Joker, I have a friend who played his best friend. He was Mr. J the whole time," he explained. "His name was Ares in the show, and I ended up going, 'Hey Air, what’s happening man?'"
"And I say, 'Is it OK if I call you Air?' And he says, 'Yeah, sure you can.' Then we got loose, and it was just wonderful. I mean, we jammed, you know?" the legendary actor concluded.
The first official still from Tron: Legacy has also been released. You can take a closer look at that in the X post below.
TRON: Ares follows a highly sophisticated Program, Ares, who is sent from the digital world into the real world on a dangerous mission, marking humankind's first encounter with A.I. beings.
The movie stars Jared Leto, Greta Lee, Evan Peters, Hasan Minhaj, Jodie Turner-Smith, Arturo Castro, Cameron Monaghan, and Gillian Anderson. Joachim Rønning directs; producers are Sean Bailey, Jeffrey Silver, Justin Springer, Leto, Emma Ludbrook and Steven Lisberger.
TRON: Ares arrives in theaters on October 10, 2025.