With just a month remaining until its theatrical debut, Disney has released a new trailer for TRON: Ares, reigniting excitement for the film. This latest preview showcases the titular program returning to the classic 1984 grid and introduces an iconic character: Kevin Flynn, portrayed by Jeff Bridges.
(Note: The following contains spoilers for TRON and TRON: Legacy.)
In TRON: Legacy, Sam Flynn (played by Garrett Hedlund), the son of Kevin Flynn, successfully thwarted the malevolent program Clu’s plans to merge the digital universe with reality. He also brought Quorra (Olivia Wilde), an isomorphic algorithm endangered by Clu, back into the real world.
Disney initially approved a third installment in the TRON franchise in October 2010, aiming to continue the story of Sam and Quorra as Sam inherited leadership of his father’s company, ENCOM. However, plans for the project were scrapped by 2015. The film reemerged in 2020, restructured as a standalone reboot rather than a direct sequel to Legacy, although the character Ares had been featured in earlier versions of the script. After several industry disruptions, including a pandemic and Hollywood strikes, the completed film is slated to release this fall.
Directed by Joachim Rønning, TRON: Ares follows a highly advanced program named Ares, who embarks on a perilous mission from the digital realm into the real world, marking humanity’s first encounter with artificial intelligence. Jared Leto takes on the role of Ares, while Evan Peters and Greta Lee portray Julian Dillinger and Eve Kim, respectively. The ensemble also features Jodie Turner-Smith, Cameron Monaghan, Sarah Desjardins, Hasan Minhaj, Arturo Castro, and Gillian Anderson, alongside Bridges reprising his role as Kevin Flynn. The film’s soundtrack is composed by Nine Inch Nails.
Previous trailers provided stunning visuals typical of the TRON series but lacked detailed plot insights. The latest trailer, however, delves into the franchise’s past, beginning with scenes of a young Kevin Flynn playing the original 1982 TRON arcade game before being absorbed into its digital world. Bridges narrates a nostalgic reflection on the digital universe he encountered.
The trailer then presents Ares, much of which viewers may recognize from earlier previews, but notably features Ares meeting a digitized version of Flynn in the original grid. It appears that a fragment of Flynn persists following his sacrifice in Legacy to defeat Clu and protect his son. Flynn reveals to Ares that the connection between the two worlds runs deeper than many realize, leading Ares to confront yet another struggle to integrate elements of the grid into the real world.
TRON: Ares is scheduled to hit theaters on October 10, 2025.
