Tron: Ares Gave Us A Ton Of Cool Updates, But This One Has Me Most Excited

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I can’t hide my continued enthusiasm for the crop of upcoming 2025 movies that are waiting to be seen in the year ahead. Some of my most anticipated titles happen to be threequels, like Paddington in Peru and Downton Abbey 3, but Disney’s long-awaited Tron: Ares takes the cake in that specific subset of excitement.

Just when I thought I couldn’t get any more hyped about the future of the Tron timeline, this weekend’s D23 expo in Anaheim gave us a ton of cool updates. As one piece of this news is literal music to my ears, the entire update we've gotten is a symphony of possibilities I'm eager to dig into.

Tron: Ares Just Landed A Perfect Composing Team

CinemaBlend had people in the room for this weekend’s big D23 Expo panels, including our theme park guru/Disney devotee Dirk Libbey. It’s thanks to my good friend that I had a line in on the Tron: Ares information being released at the Honda Center last Friday night.

Which leads to one of the most thrilling developments in what we know about director Joachim R?nning’s next film. Our latest entry in the Tron legacy is going to be scored by none other than Nine Inch Nails, a reveal that was unveiled in rather dramatic and sinister fashion as you’ll see below:

I think I’ve finally found something to distract me from dissecting those ’censored’ Tron: Ares’ on-set photographs that heralded the end of filming a couple of months ago. The imagery presented is absolutely sinister, with some classic Trent Reznor screams of anguish and pain thrown in to act as a crescendo.

The music used for the announcement and the first footage may not be music from the actual score for Ares, as some fans online have noted that the screams sound like a vintage sample from the group’s catalog. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if that was the truth either, as we’re still pretty early in the whole process bringing the world of Tron back to our doorstep.

Also, the various official posts from Nine Inch Nails and Jeff Bridges alike contained the reference, “You’re gonna get what you deserve,” which is clearly lifted from the NIN classic “Head Like A Hole.” That song in particular is an interesting track to reference, especially after Tron: Ares got an even larger introduction to the public at the D23 Expo. That event came with even more details that set up where we could be heading.

Tron: Ares Now Has Some Intriguing Character Details On The Grid

On hand to talk up Disney’s big 2025 tentpole were members of the Tron: Ares cast, including franchise legend Jeff Bridges. As one may have suspected upon Bridges’ last minute Tron 3 announcement earlier this year, the digital Dude himself is “just a small part” of the road ahead. That's where co-stars Greta Lee, Evan Peters and Jared Leto all chipped in to give us further insight into their characters.

Thanks to this huge event at D23, we now have some other pieces of knowledge in play when trying to figure out Tron 3 and its story. On the more reserved side, we had Lee and Peters revealing a potential rivalry between their characters. Here’s why that seems to be a concern, thanks to the actors’ own words:

“Evan Peters: I play Julian Dillinger. For those of you who know anything about Tron, you know the name Dillinger doesn’t always mean great things for those on The Grid.

Greta Lee: I play a human character…named Lee Kim, and she’s a brilliant programmer whose greatest work provides a path for Ares to come into our world.”

Is it just me or is Tron: Ares starting to sound like the most violent remake of The Little Mermaid ever committed to film? I mean, Jared Leto can sing, so maybe a new Nine Inch Nails tune, not unlike "Head Like A Hole," will be the equivalent of his “I Want” song in the Disney canon? I’m kidding, of course, as even the titular character in this movie remains ever mysterious; even after that Tron: Ares first look photo showed us his costumed form.

As for what Mr. Leto had to bring to the table, the Academy Award winner had probably shared the largest bombshell of them all. I was pretty surprised to learn the following knowledge thanks to a charmingly candid Jared Leto, as he said the following during this presentation:

Considering the dude walked out with a red Light Cycle parked behind him, I totally get the threat. That bike looks to be one of the various red glowing objects we saw in those obscured Tron: Ares wrap photos; which presents a huge question that the night’s reel of footage helped answer: wait, can objects from The Grid work in our world now?

D23 Debuted The First Footage From Tron: Ares And It’s Jaw Dropping

We haven’t really gotten too many details about how the world of The Grid could cross over into the real world. While Tron: Legacy’s ending teed up that ball, that swing was never taken, as was intended with the development and cancellation of Tron: Ascension.

Here’s where I need to thank our intrepid CinemaBlend ground team again, because I got details about what took place in the Tron: Ares footage that was shown, and that question is very much in play. Sure enough, an unnamed tune that sounds very at home in the Trent Reznor/Atticus Ross wheelhouse tied together the visually stunning elements you'd expect!

Somehow, Light Cycles are operating in our world, and in the first tease shown for Tron 3, we actually see a cop car split in half thanks to Jared Leto’s Ares. There’s also a moment where Greta Lee almost gets hit by twin ribbons of threatening red light, which I’d assume could take her out faster than you could say “game over.” Sadly, this footage hasn't been shared by Walt Disney Pictures,

Also, the reappearance of Kevin Flynn brings up yet another question in the Tron storyline we’re about to see take place: did Sam and Quorra help bring that version of the old man himself into being? There’s clearly a lot for me to parse over, but as you can see with everything included above, we have a lot to look forward to with Tron: Ares.

If the hiring of Nine Inch Nails is any indication, the band’s hiring not only makes a perfect addition to the musical landscape at work, it could also be another clue of what Ares intends to do in our world. I think that's what excites me the most, especially with a bad dude like Ares looking to conquer both sides of screen. That sort of quest definitely calls for some Trent Reznor screaming.

If you’re like me and want to go rewatch the entire Tron franchise to see what clues there might be towards the ultimate endgame at work, power up your Disney+ subscription and try not to get derezzed. Meanwhile, Tron: Ares will be invading our theaters on October 10, 2025, complete with a Nine Inch Nails musical score. Until next time, End of Line.