Tron: Ares Proves That Jared Leto Is Box Office Poison

Jared Leto couldn't help make "Tron: Ares" a success for Disney. The Oscar-winner was at the top of the call sheet for the long-awaited "Tron" film. But despite a lot of flashy visuals and a bangin' soundtrack by Nine Inch Nails, the movie absolutely bombed at the box office during its opening weekend. As a result, Leto's star power is now firmly in question, although a deeper look at the numbers suggests it should've been questioned a long, long time ago.

Directed by Joachim Rønning, "Tron: Ares" made $33.2 million domestically and $26.7 million internationally for a $59.9 million global debut. For context, 2010's "Tron: Legacy" bowed to $44 million domestically en route to $400 million worldwide on a $170 million budget, itself $10 million less than what "Ares" reportedly cost. Pre-release projections had "Ares" taking in $40-$50 million. Instead, it fell well short of that mark, which was already a modest one for a blockbuster of this size.

With that, it's now been years since Leto was part of any movie that could be considered a hit. His post-2020 output has been dizzyingly disastrous, with his run including "The Little Things" ($31 million worldwide/$30 million budget), "House of Gucci" ($153 million worldwide/$75 million budget), "Morbius" ($167 million worldwide/$75 million budget), and "Haunted Mansion" ($118 million worldwide/$150 million budget).

"House of Gucci" could, in a sense, be considered a qualified hit by pandemic-era standards given its relative acclaim, but even that's generous. "The Little Things" also suffered from its simultaneous HBO Max release. Still, bad is bad. "Morbius" flopped in spite of Marvel's good name and was an outright critical disaster. Sure, it might've made money in the long run, but as a box office gambit? It was a train wreck, and that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Earlier this year, Leto was accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women, which the actor has denied (per The Hollywood Reporter). But while it's absolutely no secret that Hollywood can and will overlook terrible behavior if it feels a given talent is worth it, Leto proved he was actively bad for business well before that.

Of the 10 movies that Leto has been a lead or a co-lead in, only two were outright hits: "Suicide Squad" and "Urban Legend." They were also a long time ago. Everything else? At best, a disappointment or, at worst, a flop. Even if we look at movies where Leto was merely part of the proceedings, it doesn't get better.

"Blade Runner 2049" ($259 million worldwide/$185 million budget) was a financial disaster. That movie had a lot more going on, but it doesn't help Leto's case. Even "Fight Club" ($101 million worldwide/$65 million budget) wasn't a hit, hence its cult classic status. And sure, "Dallas Buyers Club" ($60 million worldwide/$5 million budget) was a success that won Leto an Oscar, but almost everything since then has been a mess. Even Leto's financial hits have been critical disasters.

In short, Leto may well be the most undeserving A-lister in Hollywood. He's fairly reliable as a musician, with his band 30 Seconds To Mars selling some 15 million albums worldwide. But as an actor? It's hard to understand why Hollywood still thinks he's a worthwhile investment. The occasional "American Psycho" ($34 million worldwide/$8 million budget) pales in comparison to flops like "Alexander" ($167 million worldwide/$155 million budget).

At this point, it's crystal clear: Leto isn't bankable. He's straight-up box office poison, and his career as a major movie star should be over. 

"Tron: Ares" is in theaters now.