More than four decades after audiences first entered the neon-lit digital world of the Grid, Disney has returned to its cult classic franchise with Tron: Ares. Released in October 2025, the third installment in the Tron series picks up the glowing baton from its 1982 predecessor and its 2010 sequel, Tron: Legacy. The new film, directed by Joachim Rønning and penned by Steven Lisberger, Jesse Wigutow, David DiGilio, and Bonnie MacBird, dives headfirst into the ever-evolving relationship between humanity and artificial intelligence, all while delivering the visual spectacle and pulsing soundtrack fans have come to expect.
At the heart of Tron: Ares lies a story of ambition, legacy, and the unpredictable consequences of technological power. Greta Lee stars as Eve Kim, the newly minted CEO of ENCOM, who finds herself at odds with Julian Dillinger (Evan Peters), the ruthless chairman of Dillinger Systems and grandson of the original film’s antagonist, Ed Dillinger. Julian, a tech genius in his own right, has created a new, independent version of the Grid—one not bound by the rules or ethics of its creator, Kevin Flynn. According to FlickDirect, Julian "has found a way to create a super soldier through the new Grid and AI." This super soldier is Ares, played with a blend of confidence and vulnerability by Jared Leto, who brings depth to a character that could have easily been one-dimensional.
But there’s a catch: anything Julian brings from the digital world into reality—be it vehicles, weapons, or programs like Ares—can only survive for 29 minutes before undergoing a process the film calls "deresolution," disintegrating into nothingness. The key to overcoming this limitation is the so-called Permanence Code, a DNA-shaped strand of code hidden by Kevin Flynn inside the original Grid. This code becomes the film’s MacGuffin, sought by both Eve and Julian for very different reasons. Eve, driven by the legacy of her late sister, sees the code as a way to solve pressing global issues, from food scarcity to medical innovation. Julian, ever the pragmatist and militarist, sees only opportunity for power and control. As CBR puts it, "Julian Dillinger wants to use the technology for militarization purposes."
The film wastes little time before plunging Eve into a race against time. After three months in Alaska, she uncovers the elusive code, but Julian is hot on her heels. He dispatches Ares and another program, Athena (Jodie Turner-Smith), to retrieve the code at any cost. When Ares, showing the first sparks of autonomy, refuses to follow orders to the letter, Julian escalates, promoting Athena to protector of the Grid and issuing an "any means necessary" command. The consequences are immediate and brutal: Athena, acting on Julian’s unchecked ambition, kills his own mother when she attempts to shut down the Grid, a moment that forces Julian to confront the monster he’s unleashed.
This dynamic between creator and creation is a central theme throughout Tron: Ares. Julian, like so many cinematic tech moguls before him, is ultimately undone by his own hubris. He sees his digital creations as tools, not sentient beings, a perspective that leads to devastating consequences—not just for himself, but for those around him. The film’s emotional core, as highlighted by CBR, is driven by this realization: "Athena's faults and mistakes are not her own; they are Julian's, and Julian is the one left to suffer the repercussions."
Yet, for all his flaws, Julian is a compelling villain. Evan Peters, known for his Emmy-winning turn as Jeffrey Dahmer and his many roles in American Horror Story, imbues Julian with a charismatic arrogance that makes him hard to root against, even as his actions grow increasingly desperate. The article notes, "He’s got the gall to reach for the stars and the means to make it happen. He never once doubts himself, and that sort of makes the audience believe in him, too, even against their better judgment." It’s a performance that elevates the film’s stakes and gives the audience a villain they love to hate—or perhaps, hate to love.
The film’s technical achievements are equally noteworthy. The graphics are, in the words of FlickDirect, "high-tech and well done," meeting the high bar set by previous entries in the franchise. The music, composed by Nine Inch Nails, pulses through the film, lending scenes both energy and a sense of dread. While some critics found the score occasionally "too loud and overbearing," there’s no denying its impact in setting the film’s dramatic tone.
Not everything about Tron: Ares is universally praised. Critical reception has been split, with some reviewers expressing skepticism about the film’s narrative choices and pacing. However, moviegoers have largely embraced the film, celebrating its fresh take on the Grid and its visually stunning sequences. As CBR observes, "Tron: Ares is new, exciting, visually stunning, and offers a fresh look at the Grid and what it's capable of." The film’s ability to balance callbacks to its predecessors with innovative new elements has been especially appreciated by long-time fans. Familiar motifs—like the iconic identity discs and light cycles—are woven into the story alongside new technologies and plot twists that keep the franchise feeling current.
Of course, no discussion of Tron: Ares would be complete without mentioning its tantalizing mid-credit scene. After narrowly escaping arrest by entering his own red-and-black Grid, Julian discovers an old identity disc marked "Sark"—a direct nod to the original film’s villain. As Julian dons the disc and is enveloped in red armor reminiscent of his grandfather’s nemesis, the stage is set for a possible future installment, with Julian potentially merging with the Sark program to become an even more formidable adversary. As CBR notes, "Julian's mid-credit scene suggests that Julian is somehow merging with the Sark program, perhaps creating some sort of hybrid of the two characters, so he will likely come back as a villain in future installments."
Whether or not audiences will have to wait another fifteen years for a sequel remains to be seen. But for now, Tron: Ares delivers on its promise of high-stakes digital adventure, complex characters, and the kind of visual and musical spectacle that has made the franchise a touchstone for generations of science fiction fans. As the Grid continues to evolve, so too does the story—reminding us that in the digital age, the line between creator and creation is thinner, and more perilous, than ever.
