It seems like Tron 3 has been in development for forever, with over a decade separating the Disney threequel from Tron: Legacy. But the gears have been turning pretty fast for the film that may or may not be called Tron: Ares. With Jared Leto and Evan Peters kicking off the casting for this long-awaited follow-up, the doors are open for all sorts of new talent to sign on.
From this point on, we’re about to run down the cast list for Tron’s next adventure. You’ll definitely want to keep tabs on the information we’re about to present, as it’s bound to change from time to time. That having been said, let’s get up to speed with the who’s who of the world once run by CLU.
Jared Leto
The first cast member to sign up for Tron 3 was a recent addition to the Disney family, actor Jared Leto. Currently, you can see him raising all sorts of hell in Disney’s Haunted Mansion adventure as the Hat Box Ghost. However, before that movie even went into production, Leto was cast in 2020 to become a part of this new chapter in Encom history.
Cue the stories of how the Morbius actor was getting ripped for his new role, as well as that time he may have accidentally leaked the possible Tron: Ares title to the world. The point is, even in the real world, it feels like Jared Leto helped keep the fires of this world burning. Though inside of that fictional universe, he might be the one to burn it all down.
Playing an artificial intelligence that’s trying to make its way into the human world, Jared Leto sounds like he’ll be Tron 3's functional villain. However, who can really say, as these movies have featured AI in both heroic and villainous ways. Still, with his character, reportedly named “Ares,” initiating a moment that humanity isn’t exactly prepared for, that sort of talk is the greatest sign of being an ally to our world.
Evan Peters
With Jared Leto as the foundation on which Tron: Ares’ cast has been built, it took a couple of years before we learned about any other players set to join him. That changed very quickly in 2023, and it started with the announcement of Evan Peters’ Tron 3 casting. Another Disney vet, thanks to his role in Wandavision, Peters came on board as the first in a wave of several announcements that happened around the same time.
Details on the Tron character Evan Peters was picked for are scarce. However, THR did mention some interesting details in its reporting of the deal. Apparently, he may be playing a character that is speculated to be “a soldier in the computer world and an awkward gamer in the human world." So if Jared Leto is our villain, then Peter's unspecified lead might be the hero.
Greta Lee
Continuing the train of good news for those wondering what’s going on with Tron 3, was a double shot of casting that happened at the same time. Coming off of the success of A24’s Past Lives, as well as reprising her role of Lyla in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Greta Lee was the first of two female leads cast for this Disney adventure.
As Ms. Lee was drafted into the world of Tron, we also got a glimpse into who her character will be. Since those sorts of details are a bit rare, learning that Greta will be playing “a video game programmer and tech company CEO who aims to protect her world-changing technology” was a bit of a game changer.
Whether this is a new company, or if Greta Lee’s character is the new face of ENCOM management, is an intriguing question that currently does not have an answer. Especially if Tron: Ares somehow ties into previous adventures like Tron: Legacy, which saw the landmark computer company run by Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund).
Jodie Turner-Smith
As Tron 3 scored two female leads at the same time, those two announcements were handily rolled into a single event. So when Greta Lee was revealed to be part of this digital/physical hybrid world, so was Jodie Turner-Smith.
Seen in action films like Tom Clancy’s Without Remorse, as well as being lined up for the dark Star Wars spinoff series The Acolyte, Turner-Smith is another performer who seems to be sticking with her new Disney family. Unfortunately, her character details haven’t been unveiled as of yet; so we’re not sure which side of the screen she shall be representing in Tron: Ares.
Cameron Monaghan
As of this moment, Shameless and Gotham star Cameron Monaghan represents the end-of-line for Tron 3’s cast. Another Disney-adjacent actor lined up for this fight between Program and User, Monaghan is also a familiar face to Star Wars fans, thanks to his role in Jedi: Fallen Order.
News of Monaghan's involvement broke via Deadline, and that’s about all there is to report at this moment. This next Tron film is pretty selective with what information is revealed to the public, so it’s unsurprising that this is yet another case of specifics being played close to the identity disc. It is also hard not to think of the actor's bonkers Gotham performance, and how that Joker-esque energy could best be used to create a wild card on The Grid similar to Michael Sheen's Castor in Tron: Legacy.
While the title Tron: Ares is still waiting to be confirmed, it doesn’t feel like we’ll have to wait too long. Though the WGA’s writers strike, as well as SAG-AFTRA’s actor’s strike, seem to put that planned August start date in doubt. However, it still seems that this project has gathered quite a bit of steam.
While we don’t know when Tron 3 intends to head into production, much less into theaters, you can still catch up on everything that’s come before this moment. Using your Disney+ subscription, the world of Tron is completely at your fingertips. So if you’re someone who’s a loyal warrior for the User, or a newcomer who wants to know what the fuss is about, you’re covered in either case.
