Jared Leto Saved Tron: His 10-Year Push That Turned Ares Into a Movie
Tron: Ares reached theaters this weekend, and the movie’s existence owes a lot to one person: Jared Leto. The new film takes a different path than Tron: Legacy, and key players say Leto’s persistence reshaped the project from a planned direct sequel into a character-driven follow-up.
Earlier sequel attempts
For years, directors tried to continue Tron’s story. Steven Lisberger, who directed the original 1982 Tron, made multiple pitches for sequels. Then Joseph Kosinski directed Tron: Legacy and later worked on a follow-up called Tron: Ascension, with Olivia Wilde and Garrett Hedlund set to return. However, after high-profile sci-fi failures like John Carter and Tomorrowland, Disney reportedly backed off plans for a third Tron; that story explains the studio’s hesitation.
Kosinski later told Variety that Disney wanted to prioritize established franchises like Marvel and Star Wars, the latter acquired when Disney bought Lucasfilm in 2012.
How Ares came to be
After a period with no clear direction, Tron: Ares started taking shape around a single character. Screenwriter Jesse Wigutow says the film “never would have happened without actor-producer Jared Leto.” He explains the pivot this way:
“The first iteration of [Tron: Ares] was a different movie, but it had a character named Ares that [Leto] was cast as while we were in pre-production,” Wigutow says, “He really got his teeth into this character and really wanted to hold onto it, and ultimately came to me and said, ‘Let’s just build a movie around this character. I want to understand this character, his origins, and I want to take him to a very different place.’ So that’s really the provenance and the origin of this specific film is Jared’s dogged persistence on getting it done, but also telling the story of this character specifically.”
In short: producers and writers reworked the project to center Ares, and that change led directly to the current film.
Jared Leto’s commitment
Jared Leto — who also produces — has been vocal about why he pushed for another Tron movie. Speaking at a press event, he said:
“I believe in the franchise,” Leto says. “I love the films. I’m a super fan. I fell in love with the very first film — saw it in the theater as a young kid. It changed my life, it really showed me creativity and technology in a way I’d never imagined. I loved the story. At the time video games were all the rage, and of course still are, but they were just kind of becoming what they are, so it’s just a special time. I got to discover Jeff Bridges in that movie and became a lifelong fan of his as well.
“For me, Tron is Star Wars. It’s Alien [and] Blade Runner, it’s one of the great science-fiction franchises, and I’m really proud to be a part of it.”
Additionally, Wigutow says Leto and his producing partner Emma Ludbrook contacted him to “breathe this life back into this thing” and to build the story around Ares.
What Ares skips and nods
Tron: Ares does not continue every thread from Tron: Legacy. Notably, Sam Flynn and Quorra are absent, and the movie focuses on a different corner of the Tron universe. Still, the filmmakers included at least one meaningful nod to Legacy. As a result, some fans who want direct closure to Legacy may need more follow-ups, and creators suggest that Jared Leto’s continued involvement could be important if the franchise returns to those characters.
Overall, the concrete takeaway is clear: behind-the-scenes decisions and a determined producer-star reshaped a planned sequel into the Ares-centered film now in theaters.
