Jared Leto's 'Tron: Ares' marks new chapter for Disney+ sci-fi

Tron: Ares is heading to streaming. Disney has announced that the sci-fi film will begin streaming on Disney+ on January 7, following its theatrical release on October 10.

Directed by Joachim Rønning, Tron: Ares is the latest chapter in the long-running Tron franchise. The film stars Jared Leto, Greta Lee, Evan Peters, Jodie Turner-Smith, Hasan Minhaj, Arturo Castro, Gillian Anderson and Jeff Bridges.

The story follows an advanced digital program named Ares, played by Leto, who is sent from the digital Grid into the real world. This moment marks the first time humans directly interact with artificial intelligence.

The film will stream in IMAX Enhanced on Disney+, giving viewers an expanded aspect ratio designed to match the IMAX theater experience.

Jeff Bridges returns to the franchise as Kevin Flynn, a role he first played in the original 1982 Tron film and later reprised in 2010’s Tron: Legacy. Both earlier Tron movies are already available on Disney+.

Despite strong promotion at CinemaCon and San Diego Comic-Con, Tron: Ares struggled at the box office, earning $142 million worldwide.

In his review for The Hollywood Reporter, critic David Rooney wrote that the film’s main ideas were “familiar from countless movies.”

However, he praised Leto’s performance, saying it offers “an emotional hook and even an occasional touch of humour, something missing from the earlier films.”