Tron: Ares Brings Legacy Full Circle — Setting the Stage for Tron 4

Tron: Ares is finally out, so let’s talk about how it actually ties back to the earlier movies and what it’s setting up next. Short version: yes, it connects, but not exactly where Legacy left off, and the sequel teases are not subtle.

Spoilers for Tron: Ares ahead.

How Ares links to the earlier Tron films

The new movie plugs right into the ongoing Dillinger vs Flynn saga, but it flips the perspective. Instead of the Flynns leading the story like in Tron and Tron: Legacy, Ares frames things through the Dillinger line. Evan Peters plays Julian Dillinger, grandson of Ed Dillinger, and the plot zeroes in on Julian’s power struggle with Eve Kim, who is now running ENCOM. While all that corporate chess is going on in the real world, Kevin Flynn is still around as a presence inside the Grid, offering guidance from within.

Because of that shift in POV, Ares doesn’t pick up where Legacy’s ending left Sam Flynn and Quorra. Legacy closed with Sam returning to the real world with Quorra, Kevin’s apprentice. If you were hoping this movie would immediately continue their post-Grid story, you might be waiting a bit longer.

What the movie sets up for Tron 4

There’s a mid-credits beat that basically plants a flag for the next chapter. Julian bolts into the Grid to avoid being arrested, stumbles onto an Identity Disc reminiscent of his grandfather’s, and when he touches it, the disc morphs into armor around him. It’s a clear level-up moment that screams sequel.

There’s also another setup outside the Grid: Ares — a program in the same vein as Quorra — makes it into the real world. He sends a postcard to Eve Kim, casually signaling that he’s interested in Sam Flynn and Quorra. Between Julian’s Grid upgrade and Ares moving around out here, the table is set for a follow-up that could pull the legacy players back into the mix for a bigger showdown.

Who made it

Joachim Rønning directs, with a cast that includes Jared Leto, Greta Lee, Evan Peters, Gillian Anderson, and Jeff Bridges. The score comes from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, released under the Nine Inch Nails name — a different vibe than Daft Punk, but very much its own statement.