16 Years Later, Tron 3 Finally Brings Its Biggest Fan Into the Franchise

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In simpler and more conversational terms,

The movie titled “Tron: Ares” is hitting theaters after a gap of 16 years since its prequel, “Tron: Legacy” (2010), impressed audiences with its stunning 3D effects. Interestingly, this gap isn’t unusual for the franchise as “Legacy” was released 28 years after the original “Tron” (1982). Over these 44 years, the “Tron” series has had a dedicated fan in the form of Academy Award-winning actor Jared Leto, who was just 9 when the first movie came out. Now, Leto finds himself back in the “Tron” universe as he stars in “Tron: Ares” as the main character “Ares,” an advanced AI that is developing faster than its creators can manage.

In an opportunity granted by ComicBook, we got the privilege to join the press group touring the set of the upcoming movie, “Tron: Ares“, and had a conversation with one of its producers, Justin Springer. During our chat, Springer was happy to discuss how circumstances seem to have played a role in bringing Jared Leto to feature in a “Tron” film.

Tron: Ares Has Been A Nearly 20-Year Mission For Jared Leto

“Jared Leto has always been passionate about the franchise. During the production of ‘Legacy’, we received a call suggesting he could join the ‘Tron’ series if there was a suitable role. Unfortunately, at that stage, he couldn’t be involved due to our tight schedule. As soon as we began working on a sequel, we rekindled his interest by reminding him of the franchise’s significance to him as a child and his enthusiasm for being part of it as an actor. This was around 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012.”

Besides expressing eagerness, Jared Leto had also been chosen as one of the main characters (the antagonist) for Joseph Kosinski’s proposed sequel to Tron: Legacy, titled Tron: Ascension. However, that project encountered issues during production. Regardless, Jared Leto remained persistent in his desire to join the franchise.

According to Springer, it was planned that he would portray the villain in the film “Ascension.” However, the studio ultimately decided not to produce that movie. Despite this setback, Jared continued to express interest in the Tron franchise, and when a new development phase began around 2017 or 2018, they included Jared in their plans.

Jared Leto Had A Big Hand In Making Tron: Ares What It Is

As a passionate cinephile myself, let me share that I’m not just acting in the movie “Tron: Ares“; I’ve also taken on the role of a producer for this film. And interestingly, my co-producer, Justin Springer, has shared that I’ve been as committed and involved on the production side as I have been with my acting duties.

[Jared] was set to appear both as a star and producer for us,” Springer clarified. “Since the early stages, I’ve worked closely with him on its development. This isn’t like hiring an actor for a role; instead, we’ve developed the entire story together. He’s been eager to be part of our franchise for quite some time, and that’s why we’ve tailored the story around him. The movie features multiple narratives, but Jared portrays the AI character that awakens in this film. Our association has been ongoing, with a shared dedication and enthusiasm from the start.

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2025-09-04 18:14