Tronis one of the strangest franchises in Disney’s long history. People have referenced it regularly since 1982. 28 years after the cult classic original, Disney helped to start the legacy sequel craze with its appropriately titledTron: Legacy. The second entry performed well at the box office, but Disney’s bizarre long-term strategy left a third entry in limbo. As humanity prepares to forgetTronagain, Disney announcesTron: Aresfor next year. The current marketing strategy isn’t working out.
Disney is dominated by two or three franchises today. They produceStar WarsandMarvelcontent and drop the occasional children’s film. As they milkthose once-profitable namesfor all they’re worth, the cruel hand of diminishing returns and shifting audience interest render those safe bets riskier. They try a new corporate strategy every week. Disney is desperate for another bankable property.Tronisn’t likely to fit the bill.
Release Date
2025
Tron: Areswill be the third entry in the few-and-far-betweenTronfranchise. Steven Lisberger, writer and director of the 1982 original, started discussing a potential sequel to 2010’sTron: Legacybeforeit hit theaters. He suggestedLegacy’s screenwriters, Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, would return to cap off the trilogy. Joseph Kosinski,Legacy’s director, mentioned ideas for the plot in 2011. He droppedTR3Nas a potential title. Fans received a drip feed of information until Disney officially greenlit the project in 2015. They scrapped it afterTomorrowlandbombed. That ill-fated George Clooney vehicle and the awfulLone Rangerremake realigned Disney’s goals and set them on the current live-action remake kick they still occupy. Disney announcedAresas a reboot in 2017, earning ire from many for several reasons.
Jared Leto as the lead
Fans know little aboutTron: Ares, but they’ve led with their star.Jared Leto has causedseveral PR disasters over the last few years, making him a toxic presence on any film’s cast list. He provided two of the highest-profile terrible performances in modern memory. His face was plastered across screens as the worst Joker inSuicide Squadand the worst superhero inMorbius. He’s a living meme to represent studio failures and awful method acting. He faces several accusations of unprofessional and awful on-set behavior. Leto isn’t a convicted criminal, but people generally despise him on and off-screen. Many expressed disappointment when Disney announced Leto’s involvement. The last thing a studio wants when they announce a new tentpole blockbuster is a chorus of voices condemning their star and prayingfor the nextMorbius.
No Daft Punk soundtrack
Hiring Daft Punk to provide the music for aTronsequel felt like a fated decision. They could have been a fictional duo invented for the films. Their soundtrack blended an 85-piece orchestrawith Daft Punk’s iconicelectronic style to create something unlike any other film score. Daft Punk split in 2021, allowing Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo to pursue other projects. It seems almost impossible thatTron: Arescould reunite one of the most impactful electronica duos in modern memory. The band drove most conversations aroundTron: Legacy. Fans will feel their absence, regardless of the yet-unannounced new artist’s talents.
Tron: Arestakes place in the real world
The failedTron: Legacysequel’s script featured Sam Flynn and Quorra leaving the Grid to explore reality. That pitch failed to excite most fans.Aresis said to have adapted its title character and central narrative from that screenplay. The premise of aTronmovie set outside the first movie’s “world inside the computer” seems absurd. There’s an engaging idea inOlivia Wilde’s characterdiscovering reality after leaving the Grid, but that doesn’t seem enough to fill a sequel. If they must cling to an aged brand, why abandon the central premise?
Does Disney misunderstand what makesTroncool?
Tronis a franchise notable for its technological achievements. The first film was panned for its narrative. Some critics described it as a tech demo.Tronwas one of the first films to use digital effects. It was robbed of an Oscar by an Academy who considered the new medium “cheating.” Unfortunately,CGI is a dirty wordtoday. Fans want practical effects and blockbusters that feel real. They can undercut that problem by making a PG version ofHalt and Catch Fire, but calling itTrononly guarantees disappointment. Making a newTronwithout the goodwill of previous entries won’t lead to much.
As Disney struggles to find its footing without most of its profitable brands, it will try increasingly desperate ploys to secure bankable names. IP is their currency, and each cow they milk dry presents a tremendous problem.Tron: Aresrepresents anotherwild grab for something reliable, but every new suggestion seems misguided. The next trip to the Grid might be the last, as it probably should.
