Created by Steven Lisberger and Bonnie MacBird in 1982, Tron is a cult classic that, just like our technology, has only grown exponentially over the years. The sequel, Tron: Legacy, dazzled moviegoers with jaw-dropping visuals and profound existentialism accompanied by an unparalleled film score composed by music legends Daft Punk.

Lisberger is back as a producer for the latest instalment of Tron, alongside a cast and crew of fresh and familiar faces at the Recognizer’s helm (including Supa-Star Cameron Monaghan in an undisclosed role). With Monaghan’s upcoming appearances at Supanova in Adelaide (31 October – 2 November 2025) and Brisbane (7-9 November 2025) on the horizon, let’s examine why you should hold your Identity Discs high for the highly anticipated Tron: Ares.

Worlds Collide

The film’s plot follows Ares (Jared Leto), a program that is sent on a dangerous mission to the real world, accompanied by his partner, Athena (Jodie Turner-Smith). Their objective: to relentlessly pursue programmer Eve Kim (Greta Lee) to retrieve valuable code for their creator, Julian Dillinger (Evan Peters).

Ares flips the script by exploring what would happen if programs materialised in our world. Eerily, this concept was teased in Legacy, serving as a critical plot point for the mad sprint towards the portal to get home before Clu.

And of course, it’s not Tron without an electrifying soundtrack, in which Nine Inch Nails fills the void left by Daft Punk superbly. Their newest single, straight from the Ares soundtrack, As Alive As You Need Me To Be, is certainly a synthesised omen of certified bangers to come!

Photo by Leah Gallo

Flynn Lives

Despite his apparent demise in Legacy’s epic finale, Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) has seemingly returned to The Grid. Is this Flynn just a backup copy, or is he the OG User God back with a renewed sense of purpose after merging with Clu? How he ties into the plot remains well-encrypted, for now.

With Edward Dillinger Sr.’s youngest son out and about with coding shenanigans of his own, Flynn’s return is very serendipitous, considering the long-standing feud between the two families. Which begs the question, what has happened to Sam Flynn and Quorra in the real world?

Has Quorra’s existence as an ISO (isomorphic algorithm) reshaped the human condition as Kevin Flynn hoped? What about the titular hero himself, Tron? Will he appear to fight for the Users once more? Fan theories are aplenty online, and only a symptom of the mass excitement generated by Ares. 

The Game Has Changed

Photo by Leah Gallo

Director Joachim Rønning, Lisberger, Bridges, Leto, Lee, Turner-Smith, Monaghan and more were at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con to discuss all things Tron. Lisberger started the panel off, “As far out as Tron was and is, it actually became real life. I’m weary about hearing the grim news about the future.

“The way to avoid that is to get talented people like the crew that’s on my left and inspire young people about what can be done with this technology, that’s what Tron is all about,” he concluded.

“Tron was 43 years ago, come on, man! Artificial Intelligence is on everybody’s mind and hearts these days; being a part of telling this story is so exciting,” said Bridges.

Monaghan gave a perplexing tease of his character. “Well, I’m not going to say there’s a rivalry between the humans and the programs, but I would say that pixels definitely have more fun. I prefer to be digital, personally,” he smiled. “You get the cool suit, you get to do flips, it’s a good time. It was an honour!

“I would walk backstage and look at them [the sets], and the way they were built, no one does it better than Disney for their practical sets and set designs,” he exclaimed.

Thanks to a strong creative vision, Tron: Ares has the makings of becoming a modern-day classic. Get your Identity Discs ready, because the time is nigh to plug in for the next unforgettable electronic adventure! End of Line.

Tron: Ares light cycles exclusively into cinemas on October 9