TRON: Ares Trailer Brings The Sci-Fi Game To Life In The Real World

It's been 15 years since moviegoers last took a trip to the Grid in "Tron: Legacy," and while fans of this sci-fi franchise are absolutely champing at the bit for a third installment over a decade later, they might need to readjust their expectations. Because this time, the Grid is coming to us.

Directed by Joachim Rønning ("Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales," "Maleficent: Mistress of Evil"), the plot of "Tron: Ares" has been shrouded in secrecy ever since the project was first announced way back in 2017. The film was described as a reboot at the time, but is now being referred to as a standalone sequel that has ties to the established "Tron" universe (most notably because Jeff Bridges is set to reprise his role of Kevin Flynn, which is doubly cool as this will be the star's first film appearance since he beat cancer and Covid-19). We know that it stars Jared Leto as Ares, who is described as "a highly sophisticated program ... sent from the digital world into the real world on a dangerous mission, marking humankind's first encounter with A.I. beings." The film also features Greta Lee, Evan Peters, Jodie Turner-Smith, and Gillian Anderson.

That's a bang-up cast, and it only gets better when you learn that the great Jordan Cronenweth ("Fight Club," "Down with Love," and "The Social Network") is on board as the director of photography. The screenplay is credited to Jack Thorne ("Harry Potter and the Cursed Child") and Jesse Wigutow ("Daredevil: Born Again"), so, if nothing else, there's some heavy-duty talent involved across the board here. Have they all come together to make a "Tron" film worthy of the franchise? /Film's Jacob Hall was blown away by the "Ares" footage shown at last year's D23, but now we all get to see for ourselves. Let's dig into that trailer!

Officially there's no indication that "Tron: Legacy" stars Garrett Hedlund and Olivia Wilde will be reprising their roles as Sam and Quorra, respectively (though we certainly wouldn't rule out possible cameos). Regardless of whether or not they return, though, the premise of "Tron: Ares" is building upon the ending of "Legacy" – and this teaser trailer may have already provided an answer to a lingering mystery from that ending.

In "Legacy," Quorra is revealed to be an Isomorphic Algorithm, or ISO: a form of intelligent life that spontaneously evolved in the virtual world of the Grid. After the malevolent human-programmed AI Clu (played by a de-aged Jeff Bridges) purged the Grid of ISOs in an act of near-total genocide, Quorra managed to survive as the last of her kind by escaping to the real world with Sam. This raised some practical questions from viewers about how exactly Quorra obtained a flesh-and-blood body, if indeed that is what she has. She certainly looks human enough at the end of "Tron: Legacy."

The "Tron: Ares" trailer appears to show Jared Leto's Ares being "printed," indicating that the movie will offer more detailed answers about how virtual characters gain physical bodies. Even more excitingly, we'll get to see the physics of the Grid manifest in the real world – with some brutal effects.

"Tron: Ares" is set to hit theaters on October 10, 2025.