The Grid is breaking through. The first official trailer for Tron: Ares has arrived, bringing a neon-soaked new chapter to Disney‘s sci-fi franchise. Watch the official trailer above and read on for everything we know about the long-awaited sequel.
Meet Ares: designed to fight, starting to think
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Oscar winner Jared Leto leads the third Tron film as Ares, a next-gen Program built inside the Grid and unleashed into the human world for the first time. Created to be a super soldier, Ares is introduced by tech mogul Julian Dillinger (Evan Peters), who’s pitching his invention for military use.
“So much talk of AI and big tech today. Virtual worlds, what are they going to look like when we get there? Well, folks, we’re not going there. They are coming here,” Dillinger announces. “I would like you to meet Ares, the ultimate soldier. He’s biblically strong, lightning fast, supremely intelligent, and if he is struck down on the battlefield, I will simply make you another.”
That level of control doesn’t sit well with everyone. Gillian Anderson’s character, Elisabeth Dillinger – Julian’s mother, doesn’t mince words: “You think you’re in control of this? You’re not.”
And Ares? He’s starting to ask questions of his own. “I’m looking for something. Something I do not understand.”
Flynn returns. The rules may not
In a quietly significant reveal, Jeff Bridges is back as Kevin Flynn, the original Grid architect. He confronts Ares directly: “A malfunctioning program that wants to live. Why is that?”
Ares’ answer is simple: “It’s just a feeling.”
Flynn’s reply? “Fascinating.”
The exchange hints at a film that, while packed with action and visual spectacle, might also be leaning into ideas about identity, agency, and what happens when artificial life begins to feel something more.
Bigger stakes, real-world scale
Unlike the previous films, Tron: Ares brings the battle off the Grid and into our world. But the tech-noir style remains intact. Lightcycles race through city streets, Programs leap across digital architecture, and the physical-digital line is blurrier than ever.
The trailer also introduces Greta Lee’s character Eve Kim, who appears to form a connection with Ares as he navigates unfamiliar terrain. And yes, the blue-and-red program conflict looks to be continuing right where Tron: Legacy left off.
The sound of the system
Nine Inch Nails score the film — not just as composers, but as a band. The trailer debuts their first new single in five years, “As Alive As You Need Me to Be,” with the full soundtrack arriving September 19.
The cast and crew
The film is directed by Joachim Rønning (Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil), with a screenplay by Jesse Wigutow, who previously co-wrote two episodes of Marvel’s Daredevil: Born Again series.
The cast includes Jared Leto, Greta Lee, Evan Peters, Gillian Anderson, Hasan Minhaj, Jodie Turner-Smith, Arturo Castro, Cameron Monaghan, and Jeff Bridges. Leto is also among the film’s producers, producing alongside Sean Bailey, Justin Springer, Emma Ludbrook, and Steven Lisberger.
The behind-the-scenes team includes Oscar-nominated cinematographer Jeff Cronenweth (Fight Club, The Social Network), editor Tyler Nelson (The Batman, Creed III), and production designer Darren Gilford (TRON: Legacy, Spider-Man: No Way Home).
The release date
Tron: Ares opens in Australian cinemas on October 9 and U.S. cinemas on October 10.
