"Tron: Ares: A Confusing Sequel Unveiled"

Tron fans have plenty to be excited about in 2025. After a long hiatus, the franchise is set to return to theaters this October with a new installment, Tron: Ares. This third Tron movie features Jared Leto as the titular character, a program embarking on a high-stakes, enigmatic mission from the digital world into the real one.

But can we truly label Ares as a sequel? Visually, it's unmistakably connected to 2010's Tron: Legacy. The newly released trailer underscores this connection, and with Nine Inch Nails taking over from Daft Punk, the electronica-driven score remains a significant focus. Yet, in other aspects, Ares seems more like a soft reboot than a direct sequel. Where are the surviving characters from Legacy? Why aren't Garrett Hedlund and Olivia Wilde reprising their roles as Sam Flynn and Quorra? And why is Jeff Bridges, of all people, the only Tron veteran confirmed to return? Let's delve into how Legacy set the stage for a sequel and why Ares appears to be sidestepping that setup.

TRON: Ares Images

2 ImagesGarrett Hedlund’s Sam Flynn & Olivia Wilde’s Quorra

Tron: Legacy primarily follows the journey of Garrett Hedlund's Sam Flynn and Olivia Wilde's Quorra. Sam, the son of Jeff Bridges' character Kevin Flynn, the CEO of telecom giant Encom who vanished in 1989, enters The Grid to rescue his father and thwart Kevin's creation, CLU, from invading the real world with a digital army.

During his quest, Sam reunites with his father and meets Quorra, a member of the ISOs, a race of digital beings who spontaneously emerged within The Grid. Quorra symbolizes the potential for life within a digital environment. By the film's end, Sam defeats CLU and returns to the real world with Quorra, now a flesh-and-blood being.

Legacy's conclusion clearly paves the way for a sequel. Sam is ready to take on his role as Encom's largest shareholder, aiming to steer the company towards a more open-source future, with Quorra by his side as a testament to the digital realm's marvels. The home video release even includes a short film, "Tron: The Next Day," showing Sam's return to Encom to lead it into a new era.

Despite this setup, neither Hedlund nor Wilde are returning for Tron: Ares, their absence striking and significant. It's understandable that Disney might want to shift the franchise's direction after Legacy's $409.9 million worldwide gross on a $170 million budget didn't meet expectations. Like other underperforming films of its time, such as John Carter and The Lone Ranger, Legacy may not have resonated enough with audiences to justify a direct continuation.

Yet, Sam and Quorra are integral to the Tron narrative. Their absence raises questions: Did Sam abandon his mission at Encom? Did Quorra tire of the real world and return to The Grid? We hope Ares acknowledges their significance, even if through a brief cameo or reference.

The absence of Cillian Murphy, who briefly appeared as Edward Dillinger, Jr., in Legacy, is also puzzling. Dillinger, Jr., the son of David Warner's original Tron villain, Edward Dillinger, was set up as a key figure in a potential sequel, likely to become the main human antagonist and possibly linked to the return of the Master Control Program (MCP).

The Tron: Ares trailer hints at the MCP's return, with Ares and other programs marked by the MCP's signature red glow. This suggests a darker mission for Ares, leaving us uncertain whether he's a hero or a villain. With Evan Peters playing Julian Dillinger, it appears the Dillinger family still has a role, but why isn't Cillian Murphy returning? And why is Gillian Anderson's new character now central to Encom's board?

Bruce Boxleitner’s Tron

Perhaps the most surprising omission from Tron: Ares is Bruce Boxleitner, who played both Alan Bradley and the titular Tron in the original film. In Legacy, he reprised Alan Bradley, and it was revealed that Rinzler, CLU's enforcer, was a reprogrammed Tron, who by the end of the film, seemed to regain his original programming after falling into the Sea of Simulation.

Boxleitner's absence raises questions about the film's direction. Is the plan to make a Tron movie without Tron himself? Could Cameron Monaghan be playing a younger version of Tron? Regardless, we hope Ares addresses Tron's fate from Legacy and offers him some form of redemption.

The most intriguing aspect of Tron: Ares is Jeff Bridges' return, despite his characters, Kevin Flynn and CLU, being killed off in Legacy. In the trailer, we hear Bridges' voice, but it's unclear whether he's playing a surviving Kevin Flynn, a resurrected CLU, or some other digital entity. Did CLU survive their shared demise? Did Flynn keep a backup of CLU? Or has Flynn transcended physical limits within The Grid?

These questions will be answered in Ares, where we'll also discover whether Ares is aligned with Flynn/CLU or serving the MCP's agenda. While we're eager for Tron: Ares, its decision to bring back Bridges' characters while sidelining those who survived Legacy leaves us both excited and puzzled. Yet, the new score by Nine Inch Nails promises to be a thrilling addition to the franchise.