Starring Garrett Hedlund as Sam Flynn and Olivia Wilde as Quorra, this 2010 sci-fi spectacle Tron: Legacy has rightfully earned its place as an underrated gem and a growing cult classic on home video. Its breathtaking visuals and iconic soundtrack even inspired a thrilling new ride at Disney World's Magic Kingdom.
Now, the Tron universe is expanding with the highly anticipated Tron: Ares. This new film shifts its focus from Legacy's main characters, but it builds directly on an exciting idea from the previous movie's climax: Quorra, an "isomorphic algorithm," stepping out of the digital Grid and into the real world.
Tron: Ares will explore this groundbreaking concept on a much grander scale, with Jared Leto leading the cast as the titular Ares. The core plot revolves around an unprecedented event: more and more advanced algorithms are making the leap from the Grid and entering physical reality. This raises a monumental question: How will humanity react to sentient AI beings appearing in our world?
Fans are naturally wondering if Garrett Hedlund will return as Sam Flynn in Ares. When asked recently, Hedlund gave a very cryptic response, saying, "You know, let's just let that ambiguity rest right up there in the ether."
Despite the coy answer, Hedlund did express his excitement for the film, acknowledging the immense effort involved in its creation. "I'm very excited to see what they've done with Ares," he stated. "They worked so tremendously hard to get this one made. They dealt with the obstacles of COVID, the strike, and still got to the other side. I'm excited, and it spreads the love and the reach for The Grid. It's astounding how much time has gone on since Legacy. But I'm excited that audiences get another injection of Tron, and the programs, and the disc, and The Grid, and a little spice of Bridges."
Director Joachim Rønning shed more light on Jared Leto's character in an interview with Empire, comparing Ares to a familiar tale. "Not to be too clichéd," Rønning explained, "but I always thought about him a bit like Pinocchio. Ares wants to be a real boy."
He elaborated that Ares is like an infant, and the film aims to tell the story from his perspective, focusing on, "The little things that we take for granted, or don’t see anymore. That was important. And then a bigger theme for the film is what it takes — what it means — to be human. Especially in this case, because he’s a computer program.”
Tron: Ares is set to hit U.S. theaters on October 10, 2025, with Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures handling its release.
In addition to Leto as Ares, the film also stars Greta Lee as Eve Kim, Evan Peters as Julian Dillinger. Appearing in undisclosed roles are Jodie Turner-Smith, Arturo Castro, Cameron Monaghan, Gillian Anderson, Hasan Minhaj, and Sarah Desjardins.
Jeff Bridges is also reprising his role as Kevin Flynn.
Joachim Rønning directs from a script penned by Jesse Wigutow.