The science-fiction and action-adventure movieTron 3, also known asTron: Ares, is officially moving forward after years of uncertainty. TheTronIP has technically never been a success; the original movie in 1982, written and directed by Steven Lisberger and starring Jeff Bridges, Bruce Boxleitner, and Cindy Morgan, wasconsidered a box office flop, although its aesthetic and special effects made it a cult classic and kept it alive in people’s imagination for the decades that followed. As for Joseph Kosinski’sTron: Legacy, featuring Bridges, Olivia Wilde, and Garrett Hedlund, it was generally not considered a hit either when it came out in 2010; though it was nominated for an Oscar for Best Sound Design, it did not generate enough revenues to lift the franchise off the ground.
Now, Disney is back for another bite at the apple withTron: Ares. Though there were plans for a direct sequel toTron: Legacy,the mass conglomerate had initially scrapped the project. Australian filmmaker Garth Davis made another attempt in 2020 but could not get the movie to work, especially with a global pandemic crippling most productions. But recently,Jared Leto, who had been vying for the project for quite a while, finally managed to put the wheels back in motion. Leto revealed the first image forTron: Aresand when audiences can expect to see it hit theaters. Here is everything we know aboutTron: Ares.
Update July 16, 2025: This article has been updated following the first official photo ofTron: Aresand its announced 2025 release window.
Tron 3: The Plot
Tron: Ares
While the previousTronfilms spent much time in the digital world known as the Grid,Tron: Areslooks to flip the convention by bringing the programs into the real world. As the conversation of artificial intelligence has become more pressing in recent years, this certainly feels like a good time to revive theTronfranchise. The official logline for the film released alongside the first photo reads:
“Tron: Aresfollows 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.”
This synopsis does seem to imply thatTron: Aresis expected to followTron: Legacyto some degree, as that film featured Quorra (Olivia Munn), a computer program that was successfully made human. That film ended with Quorra and Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund) escaping the Grid and returning to the real world.
For those unfamiliar with the previous two movies,Tron’s premise was developed around game designer and software engineer Kevin Flynn (Bridges), an arcade manager who used to work for the company ENCOM with his friend Ed Dillinger (David Warner). The latter discretely stole Flynn’s open-source software, sold it to ENCOM, and became the head of the company. Trying to gather evidence against Dillinger, Flynn hacks into ENCOM and discovers a Master Control Program that is stealing government and military data. When the MCP pulls Flynn into the computer world via an experimental laser, he is forced to join forces with Tron, a self-governing security program, as well as several ENCOM engineers in order to bring down the MCP.
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Tron: Legacyfollows Flynn’s son Sam. When Flynn disappeared after becoming the CEO of ENCOM. Years later Sam is digitized into the Grid and forced to complete a series of challenges to defeat a program named Clu, whose human representation is in his father’s likeness. Though Clu nearly kills Sam, he is saved by Quorra, a special program that finally brings him to his father. Flynn explains he became trapped in the computer world and has been trying to save a specific type of program called ISO, which may simulate consciousness. Eventually, Flynn sacrifices himself to defeat Clu, and Sam is able to escape with Quorra and go back into the real world.
Release Date
On June 23, 2025, when Jared Leto revealed the first image forTron: Ares, it was announced the film would be released in 2025, but notably, no release date was given. Disney’s 2025 is already filled with high-profile titles likeSnow White,Captain America: Brave New World,Thunderbolts,Fantastic Four,Zootopia 2, andAvatar 3. Yet there are a few release dates saved thatTron: Arescould take.
RELEASE DATE
Captain America: Brave New World
August 26, 2025
Snow White
June 29, 2025
Thunderbolts
June 09, 2025
July 26, 2025
June 05, 2025
The Fantastic Four
August 19, 2025
August 26, 2025
Zootopia 2
August 02, 2025
August 09, 2025
Disney has a release date marked for June 19, 2025, but withUniversal Pictures fast-tracking a newJurassic Parkfilm for that date, it would seem unlikely Disney would put the third film in a franchise with a rocky box office track record against one of the biggest movie franchises of all time. If they wanted to giveTron: Aresa summer release date, they have also marked out August 24, 2025. They also have a number of release dates marked out for both 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight pictures that they could take and give toTron: Aresif they needed to.
There are also the dates marked out for both the live-actionMoana(June 04, 2025) andBlade(June 18, 2025). There are questions about whether Disney willrelease the live-actionMoanajust seven months after the recentMoana 2, as it could be seen as both oversaturated and drawing unfair comparisons between the two. Disney could delayMoanato 2026 and give the August 13, 2025 release date toTron: Ares. Rumors have also circulated that Disney might delayBladeto 2026 so they do not release four MCU movies in 2025. If that were to happen, that would leave a prime November release open forTron: Ares.
There is also always the chance that Disney decides to release the move in 2026. Currently, the only film officially dated isAvengers 5for July 30, 2025, whileThe Mandalorian & Groguis expected for release on the August 09, 2025 release date saved for aStar Warsfilm.Toy Story 5andFrozen 3are also expected to release. Maybe Disney holds off onTron: Aresto beef up their 2026 schedule.
Tron: Ares - The Cast & Crew
Joachim Rønning is set to directTron: Ares. Rønning broke out with the 2012 filmKon-Tikiwhich he co-directed alongside Espen Sanberg. The duo was then recruited by Disney to directPirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Talein 2017. Rønning has since had a career as a solo director and has primarily worked with Disney. He directed 2019’sMalifencent: Mistress of Evil, and his next film,Young Woman and the Sea, will be released in theaters in 2024. With his Disney track record, it makes sense why the studio wanted him to directTron: Ares.
Jared Leto will star in Tron: Ares and seems to be playing the titular character, Ares, the computer program that arrives in the real world. The other actors listedinclude Cameron Monaghan, known for his role as Ian Gallagher onShameless, the twins Jerome and Jeremiah Valeska on the DC Comics seriesGotham, and Cal Kestis in the gamesStar Wars Jedi: Fallen OrderandJedi: Survivor.There is also Evan Peters, who made quite the buzz for his chilling portrayal of real-life serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer in the Netflix miniseriesDahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.
Related:Why Tron 3 Has Limitless Possibilities
The cast has grown more impressive which each new name added to it. Greta Lee, who plays Stella Bak onThe Morning Showand voices Lyla onSpider-Man: Across the Spider-Verseand the Oscar-nominatedPast Lives, joined the cast. Canadian actress Sarah Desjardins, who appears on the showsRiverdale,Yellowjackets,Van Helsing, andThe Night Agent,is set to appear in the film. The rest of the cast includes Jodie Turner-Smith (The Neon Demon), Hasan Minhaj (No Hard Feelings), and Arturo Castro (Broad City). One of thebiggest additions to the cast is Gillian Anderson, famous for her role as Agent Scully onThe X-Filesand major roles on television shows likeThe Fall, Sex Education,andThe Crown.
It is still unknown whether Bridges, Wilde, Hedlund, or Bruce Boxleitner, who played Alan Bradley and Tron, will also be reprising their previous roles. While none of their names have been listed in the cast, it is entirely possible the film could be saving them for a surprise reveal in the film. Certainly fans have waited a long time for another Tron movie, and even though it isn’t the same wait betweenTron andTron: Legacy, it is still a long time and one hopes that this time, Disney can make the franchise take off.
