TRON: Ares — The AI Soldier Who Crosses Into Our World

Tomorrowland failed, and a planned third TRON movie tanked with it. This week, however, Disney has reminded audiences of the ambitious sci-fi franchise as it released a fresh new trailer for TRON: Ares. The new film, which will star Jared Leto, marks the next installment in the sci-fi saga and the sequel to 2010’s TRON: Legacy. It also serves as director Joachim Rønning’s next project after his last film with co-director Espen Sandberg, Master and Commander: World on Fire.

Where did TRON go? The last time audiences were inside the Grid was 2010’s TRON: Legacy. The film followed Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund), the son of Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) from the original TRON, as he ventured into the digital world his father created. In a high-stakes climax, Flynn foiled a plan by the evil Grid program Clu to merge both realities and rescue Quorra (Olivia Wilde), an isomorphic algorithm (ISO) who had been on the run from Clu and bounty hunters.

Disney initially announced plans to make a third TRON movie after the box office success of TRON: Legacy. The idea was that it would continue right where the last film left off. In October 2010, the third installment in the franchise was given the green light by Disney and was set to feature Sam and Quorra as they explored life outside of the Grid and Sam’s new role as CEO of his father’s company, ENCOM. However, despite initial talks, the TRON sequel was put into development hell, and Disney pulled the plug in 2015. This, in part, was reportedly due to the poor box office performance of another one of the studio’s big-budget sci-fi films, Tomorrowland.

The TRON film did not die, however. Four years ago, the studio resurrected the franchise and decided to go for a standalone reboot instead of a direct follow-up to Legacy. There have been hints that elements of the earlier sequel remained, such as the concept of Ares, a central AI character from early scripts. Production on the film was impacted by pandemic shutdowns and Hollywood strikes, but TRON: Ares is now complete and scheduled for release in theaters this fall.

“In a digital world where lines are code and battles are won by light, one of the most highly advanced Programs is now in the real world on a mission of discovery that will put humankind on a collision course with its future. Welcome to Ares,” Disney’s synopsis reads. “TRON: Ares follows a highly sophisticated Program, Ares, who is sent from the digital world into the real world on a dangerous mission, marking the first encounter between man and A.I. beings.” Leto leads the cast in the eponymous role. Evan Peters plays Julian Dillinger, while Greta Lee stars as Eve Kim. Jodie Turner-Smith, Cameron Monaghan, Sarah Desjardins, Hasan Minhaj, Arturo Castro, and Gillian Anderson are also attached. Jeff Bridges, meanwhile, will also reprise his role as Kevin Flynn. Nine Inch Nails have been tapped to compose the film’s music.

Trailer Breakdown: The “Ultimate Soldier” is Here

The first trailer dropped in April this year, and while it left little to the imagination of the film’s story, it was a feast for the eyes as it showcased all of TRON’s neon visual style — colorful lines, futuristic lightcycles, and stunning digital vistas. The new trailer this week has maintained the original sci-fi aesthetic while still giving viewers a better sense of what to expect from the story.

The first sequence features a scene that could be straight out of an Apple or Google product launch. Julian Dillinger, the CEO of a tech company, commands the attention of an audience as he asks, “So much talk of AI and big tech today. Virtual worlds, what are they going to look like, and when will we get there? Well, folks. We’re not going there. They are coming here.”

Dillinger then goes on to introduce the “ultimate soldier,” as he addresses the audience. Ares (Leto) is slowly revealed from behind a virtual curtain, and Julian Dillinger, with bravado and arrogance, points out to the crowd that “He’s biblically strong, lightning fast, and supremely intelligent. And if he is struck down on the battlefield…” before Dillinger slams the digital Ares against the ground during the presentation, “…I will simply make you another.” This seals Dillinger’s role as an antagonistic corporate leader who is more than willing to utilize AI ruthlessly.

However, it appears that Dillinger might not be as in charge of Ares as he thought. Julian Dillinger seems to believe Ares is a weapon for him to use as he pleases, but this CGI warrior program does not appear to have such an aim. Instead, Ares seems to have a mission that he cannot fully articulate to himself. There is an opportunity for an interesting philosophical argument here that delves deeper into A.I., and Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) enters the virtual world to discuss, “A malfunctioning program who wants to live, why is that?”

Fans of the original TRON can latch onto the nostalgia of Bridges’ Flynn in the film, but Leto as Ares taking the steps into humans’ physical world is a new challenge for the franchise and its central theme of man and machine.

The trademark tech sheen is still here, though. Rønning is still working between the digital vistas, light battlefields, and the real-world physicality as he attempts to balance two different realities. Combine that with a Nine Inch Nails score, and audiences will have both the spectacle that has made TRON a household name and a story that will explore new territory.

After more than ten years of intermittent development, TRON: Ares has found its way out of development hell. Fans will have to mark their calendar, because on October 10, 2025, the franchise will attempt to fuse the digital and the physical in theaters again.