Another Tron sequel is on the way, because we can't get enough of that 80s sci-fi nostalgia. Tron: Ares marks the instalment in the franchise, which sees the return of Jeff Bridges and takes us into a newer, darker virtual reality which pits humans against machines – all brought on by a rogue AI (played by Jared Leto).
It's been 15 years since Tron: Legacy hit the big screen, which saw Bridges' Flynn team up with his long-lost son Sam (played by Garrett Hedlund). The film was a box office smash, earning $409 million against a budget of $170 million. Given that Sam isn't set to appear in Tron: Ares, we're not necessarily sure how the new sequel connects – but it's still one of our most anticipated upcoming movies. We've already got a release date and trailer, which gives us our first look at stars Evan Peters, Gillian Anderson, and Leto in action. Plus, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross have composed the score, which definitely signifies that we're in for a much grittier film this time around.
Below, we have everything you need to know about the Tron: Ares release date, confirmed cast, plot theories, first-look footage, and more. And you don't need to have seen Tron or Tron: Legacy before you scroll on down.
Tron: Ares release date
The Tron: Ares release date has been confirmed as October 10, 2025.
This date has been a long time coming since the film has been in the works since 2010. In 2020, Garth Davis (who was set to direct the film) stepped down and was replaced by Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales director Joachim Rønning. Then, another bump in the road came up in 2023, as filming was delayed due to the SAG-AFTRA strike.
Luckily, there seem to be no more delays in sight, as filming wrapped in May 2024, and now we've even seen the first trailer for Tron: Ares – indicating that post-production is going well. Fingers crossed, we won't have to report any more setbacks before October 2025.
Tron: Ares plot
While plot details for Tron: Ares are currently pretty light, we do know that the film will follow the story of a highly intelligent AI named Ares, who manages to enter the human world after being sent on a mysterious and dangerous mission.
Now, in case you need a quick Tron refresher, this is a series that typically involves humans being trapped in a digital world and having to escape. In the '80s movie Tron, we saw Kevin Flynn, a computer programmer transported inside the software world (known as the Grid) have to work to escape back to the real world. In Tron: Legacy, we see Flynn's son Sam enter the Grid in order to stop the evil program Clu from invading reality.
Tron: Legacy also saw the algorithm that helped Sam on his mission, Quorra, break the boundaries between machine and reality for the first time as it became human. This lines up perfectly with Tron: Ares' premise as it suggests that the upcoming sequel will be building on these ideas surrounding the boundaries between AI and humans. In fact, we even suspect that there may even be a war between the two brewing in the upcoming film.
Our guess about the film pointing towards a story revolving around an impending war between machines and humans is pretty simple. First, the film's titular character is named after the Greek God of War, Ares. Secondly, in Joseph Kosinski’s now-scrapped sequel to Tron Legacy, the director originally teased an invasion storyline between the two worlds.
And, while Joachim Rønning likely has a vision of his own for Tron: Ares, the film's title does hint that Kosinski's ideas may have filtered through into the new script somehow. The war theory does track with what Rønning recently teased about the threequel, telling Empire that "this installment will be a little grittier, a little bit more industrial".
Alongside that quote a new image from Tron: Ares was released which simply shows a suited figure walking out of a vehicle (drenched in neon of course, this is Tron). Whilst this doesn't tell us much about the story, hopefully further images filled with clues will be released soon.
Tron: Ares trailer
The first trailer for Tron Ares debuted online on April 5, 2025. Boasting bright red neon flashes on a dark metropolitan backdrop, the trailer sees a highly sophisticated program named Ares (Leto) sent into the real world. "I'm searching for something. Something I do not understand," says Leto's antagonist, questioning his place in a world beyond his own.
The rest of the clip is intercut with cop cars being sliced and diced by the franchise's signature vehicles, motorcycles whizzing down dark streets, and a rider red and bloody, presumably after a crash. The teaser also gives us new looks at stars Evan Peters, Gillian Anderson, and Jeff Bridges, who plays legendary programmer Kevin Flynn.
But that's not all, as at the end of the clip, we see a terrifying recognizer hovering over the city as Greta Lee's Eve Kim watches horror. Now, all that's left to do is wait for Disney to drop a full-length trailer to shed some light on the movie's elusive plot.
Tron: Ares cast
Jared Leto is leading the Tron: Ares cast as the titular AI, Ares. However, he is also joined by some mega star power, with the likes of Jeff Bridges returning as Kevin Flynn (first seen in the 1982 Tron movie) and Evan Peters as Julian Dillinger.
Now, you may be confused to see Jeff Bridges on the cast list, since Kevin Flynn did sacrifice himself at the end of Tron: Legacy. However, we have to remember that this is a virtual world that we are dealing with, so anything is possible here. Still, we are excited to see how Tron: Ares goes about bringing Kevin back to life.
There's also still a handful of unconfirmed roles for the likes of Jodie Turner-Smith and Cameron Monaghan, whom we are still waiting on.
Yellowjackets star Sarah Desjardins also joined the movie in an undisclosed role. The actress said in an interview in February 2025: "I can't reveal anything about my character at all. I'm sorry. But I just want to say that everybody I worked with, I had so much fun. I love that there's a really good balance of everything in this movie, and I got to be a part of some moments of levity, which was really fun. I can't wait for you all to see it."
Stay tuned for more casting updates!
Below is the confirmed Tron: Ares cast list so far:
- Jared Leto as Ares
- Evan Peters as Julian Dillinger
- Greta Lee as Eve Kim
- Jeff Bridges as Kevin Flynn
- Jodie Turner-Smith
- Cameron Monaghan
- Sarah Desjardins
- Hasan Minhaj
- Arturo Castro
- Gillian Anderson
Where can you watch the Tron movies?
You can watch both Tron and its sequel, Tron: Legacy, on Disney Plus.
This applies to both our US and UK readers, so ahead of Tron: Ares, the House of Mouse's streaming service is where you'll need to sign up.
For more information on buying a subscription, you can head over to our handy guide breaking down all the Disney Plus prices. But, as a brief overview, a month's standard subscription will cost you £8.99/$9.99.
For more Disney magic, check out our list of the best shows on Disney Plus. Or you can dive into more virtual worlds with our guide on all the upcoming video game movies heading our way.
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