Tron: Ares didn’t just arrive at San Diego Comic-Con—it detonated. Friday night’s Hall H panel turned into a full-blown sensory assault, complete with a laser-light show synced to an original score by Nine Inch Nails. The experience ended with an exclusive NIN music video for “As Alive as You Need Me to Be,” a haunting new track composed for the film. In between, the panel showcased two clips that teased just how Ares is pushing the franchise forward.
Fifteen years after Tron: Legacy, Ares marks a new beginning—one that finally breaks free of the Grid. For the first time in the series, the action spills into the real world. Jared Leto plays Ares, a digital soldier who’s pulled from the virtual realm into reality by Julian Dillinger, a slick tech bro played by Evan Peters. That last name should sound familiar—he’s the youngest son of the original Tron villain, Edward Dillinger. And yes, Jeff Bridges is back as Flynn, though the panel kept quiet on how exactly his character fits into this new story.
Leto, who also produces the film and joined the project in 2017, proudly declared himself “an official Tron superfan.” He admitted, “If I wasn’t on the stage, I would be in the audience.” He described filming a scene with Bridges as a surreal experience. “I just can’t stop smiling, because I’m working with this guy,” he recalled telling the first AD after calling “cut” mid-scene. “Everyone was surprised, because I don’t often do that.”
Bridges, who helped launch this digital universe back in 1982, marveled at the fact that he’s still part of it. “’82? 43 years ago? Come on, man!” he laughed. That said, he admitted to being a little wary at first. “I remember spending the first day wondering how things would go,” he said, poking fun at Leto’s well-known method acting. “I heard Jared only wants to be called by his character. Everybody’s got different methods and modes. It’s a tough part, man, to play a program!” Bridges got a laugh when he revealed that instead of just calling him “Ares,” he asked if he could go with “Ar.”
Greta Lee, beaming at her first Comic-Con appearance, said she told her agents one thing. She asked, “find me something where I can ride a lightcycle.” Mission accomplished. One of the extended scenes sees her driving a lightcycle after stealing it from Athena (Jodie Turner-Smith). Arturo Castro and Hasan Minhaj, who play Encom executives, brought their comedic timing to the panel, drawing parallels between the fictional megacorp and the studio that made the film. “It was like walking into Disneyland every day,” Castro joked. “And I’m not just saying that because they signed my checks—because they have my family.” Minhaj added, “Let this film bring as much shareholder value to the company as possible this quarter. Really, what this is about is Encom and its earnings, which is a metaphor for the Walt Disney Corporation, one of the best corporations.”
Tron: Ares hits theaters on October 10th.
