Tron: Ares Lights Up SDCC 2025 With Spectacular New Footage

The original Tron film debuted in 1982 among a slate of lesser-known (<- sarcasm) films, including Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan, Poltergeist, and a little movie called E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial.  Despite the competition, it would go on to become one of the biggest “cult classics” of all time. It spawned the grossly underrated sequel Tron: Legacy in 2010, and now the upcoming Tron: Ares, due to hit theaters in October. Disney gave fans a preview yesterday at Comic-Con International (SDCC 2025), leaving them in anticipatory awe.

“It’s so cool, man!” declared legacy actor Jeff Bridges, who’s been a part of the franchise since its inception. “These times, artificial intelligence on everyone’s minds and hearts…” Bridges continued, seemingly with concerns over the growing use of AI in the real world. Creator Steven Lisberger continued that sentiment at SDCC 2025, noting that Tron: Ares is an allegory of how AI has “become real life, and that’s even more far out than the film. We need to kick this technology around before it kicks us around.”  And boy does it look like it’s going to kick us around in the film.

Tron: Ares brings AI to the real world

At the SDCC 2025 panel we got to see an extended version of the motorcycle chase scene we see in the Trailer. I can attest – it’s even more intense that what you’ve seen thus far. In the set up for the Tron: Ares scene, we learn that a Dillinger, this time Julian (Evan Peters), is again the film’s villain. He sends Ares (Jared Leto) and Athena (Jodi Turner-Smith) into the real world to steal a piece of code from Eve Kim (Greta Lee). The chase is their first attempt to recover the code.

Things don’t go as planned however, and the panel reveals that Ares has a bit of a crisis of conscience…. Odd, of course, for a program, the crux of the Tron: Ares plot. This leads to conflict with Athena, his (former?) solider-in-arms, and a trip to the most intricate Grid we’ve seen thus far. In another SDCC 2025 preview scene, Ares seeks to help Eve escape from the Grid in spectacular, fiery fashion.  

Disney definitely left fans wanting more. Unfortunately, we still have bit of a wait as Tron: Ares doesn’t hit theaters until October 17. In the meantime, though, we at least have Nine Inch Nails’ new video, showcasing what will be another absolutely lit soundtrack. You can watch that HERE.