After years of development, Tron: Ares is finally out of the Grid and onto the screen, bringing a new sci-fi story about the fictional cyberspace that reflects on today’s technological headlines.
While critics have slammed the new movie’s obvious plot and bland characters, the mid-credit scene strongly hints at another sequel (more on that later). But will Tron 4 go ahead following the latest film’s ropey start?
According to director Joachim Rønning, “it always depends on how many people want to see it.” Here’s what Rønning, along with Tron: Ares producers, told me about the likelihood of another installment, and where the Tron universe could go next.
Does Tron: Ares hint at a sequel?
Spoilers follow for the ending of Tron: Ares, turn back now if you haven’t seen it.
If you’ve read my Tron: Ares review (light spoilers), then you’ll know that there’s a mid-credits scene that suggests Dillinger Systems’ CEO Julian Dillinger, who’s played by Evan Peters, could return in future installments.
After lasering himself into the Dillinger Grid to escape being arrested, Dillinger’s digital self is fitted with a light suit that’ll look familiar to fans of the original 1982 movie. That’s because the V-shaped helmet he’s wearing is almost identical to the one worn by Sark, the first film’s villain.
This suggests there’s already a potential storyline laid out that Disney could could build on. But of course nothing has been confirmed yet and besides, a sequel wouldn’t necessarily have to follow the groundwork Tron: Ares has laid out.
After all, the script for the third installment had been adapted from the cancelled Tron: Ascension, which was set to be more of a direct sequel to Tron: Legacy. In fact, if it weren’t for that early draft, then Tron: Ares might not have existed at all.
“[Jared Leto]’s a big reason for why we’re sitting here,” Rønning said. “He saw a character [in that early draft] and said ‘this is the character I want to play, so let me know if you ever want to make [Ares] the main character’.”
Where could a new Tron movie go next?
The Tron franchise has always been about technology and, as Rønning puts it, “giving a glimpse of tomorrow”. It’s become a formula that many will recognize. Indeed, according to one of the producers on Tron: Ares, Sean Bailey: “Every Tron movie has to deliver on three things: speak about the future, innovate technologically, and explore our relationship with tech.”
Steven Lisberger’s original movie envisioned the rise of home computing, while Joseph Kosinski’s subsequent sequel expanded on themes around the future of AI in the internet age. In Tron: Ares, an AI program is fighting to exist in the real world, which is exactly where we’re today.
While the concept was written before the rise of ChatGPT, the rapid pace of technological advancements means a lot of the ideas the film explores around physical devices carrying AI agents and 3D printing have started to become a reality.
“Many of the ideas we had early on have started to kind of come true in the last few years,” Justin Springer, another producer that worked on the film, said. “And obviously there’s a huge conversation around artificial intelligence and the role it will play in our lives going forward.”
It wouldn’t be surprising if the next iteration of Tron explores how humans and machines can coexist in the real world, similar to what we saw in iRobot, or tackles the metaverse and humanity’s blurred lines with digital realities, like in Ready Player One.
What have the Tron: Ares crew said about a sequel?
With several hints at another Tron movie, it’s reasonable to speculate that a sequel is on the minds of the Tron: Ares crew, although nothing is guaranteed.
“We put a couple fun things in there for the fans and maybe set up a couple of things, but really we’re just trying to deliver on this movie,” Bailey said on the potential of a follow-up.
Rønning was even more cryptic: “It all depends on how many people want to see it… I just wanted to have fun with some of these Easter eggs and we’ll see if we are lucky enough to continue the journey.”
