Tron is one of the strangest franchises in Disney's long history. People have referenced it regularly since 1982. 28 years after the cult classic original, Disney helped to start the legacy sequel craze with its appropriately titled Tron: Legacy. The second entry performed well at the box office, but Disney's bizarre long-term strategy left a third entry in limbo. As humanity prepares to forget Tron again, Disney announces Tron: Ares for next year. The current marketing strategy isn't working out.
Disney is dominated by two or three franchises today. They produce Star Wars and Marvel content and drop the occasional children's film. As they milk those once-profitable names for all they're worth, the cruel hand of diminishing returns and shifting audience interest render those safe bets riskier. They try a new corporate strategy every week. Disney is desperate for another bankable property. Tron isn't likely to fit the bill.
Tron: Identity Review
Though short and somewhat confined, Tron: Identity does a favorable job of exploring a new part of the Tron universe as an interactive visual novel.
Tron: Ares does not have fans excited
Director | Joachim Rønning |
|---|---|
Writers | Jesse Wigutow, Jack Thorne |
Stars | Jared Leto, Greta Lee, Evan Peters, Hasan Minhaj |
Release Date | 2025 |
Tron: Ares will be the third entry in the few-and-far-between Tron franchise. Steven Lisberger, writer and director of the 1982 original, started discussing a potential sequel to 2010's Tron: Legacy before it hit theaters. He suggested Legacy's screenwriters, Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, would return to cap off the trilogy. Joseph Kosinski, Legacy's director, mentioned ideas for the plot in 2011. He dropped TR3N as a potential title. Fans received a drip feed of information until Disney officially greenlit the project in 2015. They scrapped it after Tomorrowland bombed. That ill-fated George Clooney vehicle and the awful Lone Ranger remake realigned Disney's goals and set them on the current live-action remake kick they still occupy. Disney announced Ares as a reboot in 2017, earning ire from many for several reasons.
Jared Leto as the lead
Fans know little about Tron: Ares, but they've led with their star. Jared Leto has caused several PR disasters over the last few years, making him a toxic presence on any film's cast list. He provided two of the highest-profile terrible performances in modern memory. His face was plastered across screens as the worst Joker in Suicide Squad and the worst superhero in Morbius. He's a living meme to represent studio failures and awful method acting. He faces several accusations of unprofessional and awful on-set behavior. Leto isn't a convicted criminal, but people generally despise him on and off-screen. Many expressed disappointment when Disney announced Leto's involvement. The last thing a studio wants when they announce a new tentpole blockbuster is a chorus of voices condemning their star and praying for the next Morbius.
No Daft Punk soundtrack
Hiring Daft Punk to provide the music for a Tron sequel felt like a fated decision. They could have been a fictional duo invented for the films. Their soundtrack blended an 85-piece orchestra with Daft Punk's iconic electronic style to create something unlike any other film score. Daft Punk split in 2021, allowing Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo to pursue other projects. It seems almost impossible that Tron: Ares could reunite one of the most impactful electronica duos in modern memory. The band drove most conversations around Tron: Legacy. Fans will feel their absence, regardless of the yet-unannounced new artist's talents.
Tron: Ares takes place in the real world
The failed Tron: Legacy sequel's script featured Sam Flynn and Quorra leaving the Grid to explore reality. That pitch failed to excite most fans. Ares is said to have adapted its title character and central narrative from that screenplay. The premise of a Tron movie set outside the first movie's "world inside the computer" seems absurd. There's an engaging idea in Olivia Wilde's character discovering reality after leaving the Grid, but that doesn't seem enough to fill a sequel. If they must cling to an aged brand, why abandon the central premise?
Does Disney misunderstand what makes Tron cool?
Tron is a franchise notable for its technological achievements. The first film was panned for its narrative. Some critics described it as a tech demo. Tron was one of the first films to use digital effects. It was robbed of an Oscar by an Academy who considered the new medium "cheating." Unfortunately, CGI is a dirty word today. Fans want practical effects and blockbusters that feel real. They can undercut that problem by making a PG version of Halt and Catch Fire, but calling it Tron only guarantees disappointment. Making a new Tron without the goodwill of previous entries won't lead to much.
As Disney struggles to find its footing without most of its profitable brands, it will try increasingly desperate ploys to secure bankable names. IP is their currency, and each cow they milk dry presents a tremendous problem. Tron: Ares represents another wild grab for something reliable, but every new suggestion seems misguided. The next trip to the Grid might be the last, as it probably should.
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