Tron Ares: An Under-Appreciated Gem

Elliot Goodliffe
Staff Writer
   The production line of Disney sequels is a letdown, but will Tron: Ares rise up? Throughout the Tron movie franchise's lifetime, it has made $33 million for the first Tron, making it a cult classic. Tron: Legacy made $40 million worldwide, succeeding greatly, especially because of Daft Punks’s contribution to the soundtrack. Tron: Ares, however, made only $140 million. Ares is considered a disappointment in the box office because of its very large budget, rounding up to $320 million in total production costs. Wendy Carlos, the main composer for the first Tron (1982), and Daft Punk, the main music artists for Tron: Legacy (2010), both have provided popular and well-received albums. A strong and praised part of the film was the soundtrack for Tron: Ares (2025), made by Nine Inch Nails. 
   The Tron legacy has always been defined by its soundscapes as much as its visuals. The 1982 original broke ground with Wendy Carlos’ experimental synth score, while Tron: Legacy elevated Daft Punk’s cinematic electronica into an instant classic. Now, the torch passes to Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross of Nine Inch Nails. When Director Joachim Rønning was pitched the idea of NIN doing the soundtrack, he and a few others became ecstatic. In a Fandango interview, Ronning explained that it helped bring the little bit more gritty and industrial feel that he wanted for this movie. 
   However, music is not the only element shaping Ares. Casting Jared Leto as the titular program was a gamble given his polarizing reputation. Yet Rønning insists Leto’s method acting brought authenticity to the role. In a Screenrant interview, he remarked: “Jared lived inside the character of Ares. That commitment gave the film its emotional core.” Ares, a sophisticated security program created by corporate head Julian Dillinger, embodies the tension between obedience and independence — a theme that resonates with Leto’s immersive approach.
   Visually, Tron: Ares continues the franchise’s tradition of pushing boundaries. Where the original pioneered CGI and Legacy leaned into sleek futurism, Ares appears to embrace a grittier, industrial aesthetic and cinema-level graphics that mirrors its soundtrack. Combined with a cult fan base eager for innovation, the film positions itself as more than just another Disney sequel. Even with Nine Inch Nails’ industrial grit, Leto’s effort, and a wall of hype, Tron remains proof that Disney’s sequel machine can polish but rarely innovate.