Disney Reveals First Tron: Ares Footage At D23

It’s been 42 years since Tron premiered in theaters, and 14 years since Tron: Legacy was released. The third installment, Tron: Ares, has been in the works for years. But at D23, Disney was finally ready to share the first look at the next chapter in the franchise.

Jared Leto plays the title character, Ares, a program who has come from the Grid and entered the real world. Leto was on hand for the preview alongside Greta Lee, Evan Peters, and original Tron star Jeff Bridges. Peters will be playing Julian Dillinger, a character who is presumably related to David Warner’s Ed Dillinger from the first film. Cillian Murphy portrayed Dillinger’s son, Edward Dillinger, Jr., in Tron: Legacy.

Peters’ character was featured prominently in the preview as Dillinger gives a keynote speech about intelligent life coming and AI programs coming to our world. Bridges appears to be playing a program based on Kevin Flynn, his character from the first two movies. Lee told the crowd that her character, Eve Kim, is a programmer who may have paved the way for Ares to enter the real world.

Following the footage, an elaborate laser display revealed that Nine Inch Nails will provide the score for the film.

Tron: Ares will hit theaters on October 10, 2025. And that’s barely scratching the surface at what Disney showed off at D23. Avatar 3 got its name, Toy Story 5 details were revealed, the first trailer for Star Wars: Skeleton Key arrived, followed by a first-look at The Mandalorian and Grogu. Marvel got in on the act with a glimpse of Human Torch’s Fantastic Four costume, as well as footage from both Daredevil: Born Again and Ironheart.