When we first caught wind of the intentions of Tron: Ares on the 2025 movie schedule, I made a joke that Jared Leto’s rather sinister looking Ares was a more violent analog to The Little Mermaid’s Ariel. While part of me still buys that gag, especially through what we know about Tron 3, Ares director Joachim Rønning has provided a very fitting alternative that, I’ll admit, makes a lot more sense.
Joachim Rønning’s Reason For Equating Ares To Pinocchio Is Pure Disney
During a conversation with Empire, on behalf of the magazine’s June 2025 issue, the Maleficent: Mistress of Evil helmer shared a pretty simple reason why Geppetto’s adopted son was his pick:
Not to be too clichéd, but I always thought about him a bit like Pinocchio. Ares wants to be a real boy.
Aww, maybe Tron: Ares’ titular character isn’t so devious after all? Maybe that huge Recognizer that’s terrorizing a city street is here for a mission of peace! Those police cars sliced in half? A total misunderstanding along the lines of Pinocchio getting himself roped into entertaining servitude on Pleasure Island!
Ok, all kidding aside, that sort of Disney+ subscription friendly rundown does seem to signal a potential face turn for this Tron three-quel lead. And there is some more context painted by Mr. Rønning that supports such a softening of appearance. Judge for yourself though, as you can read the director’s further comments below:
We talked a lot about him almost being an infant, discovering the world for the first time, and how we wanted the audience to see the world through his eyes. The little things that we take for granted, or don’t see anymore. That was important. And then a bigger theme for the film is what it takes — what it means — to be human. Especially in this case, because he’s a computer program.
Above all else, Ares is a Program, which does put him at the risk of being altered, befriended or even deleted by the human Users in the Tron: Ares cast. So while we’re still questioning the moral alignment of Jared Leto’s Disney figure of mystery, let’s talk about why the Geppetto/Pinocchio connection totally works with all current knowledge.
The Ares/Pinocchio Analogy Makes That Early Tron: Ares Easter Egg Even More Powerful
Let’s throw it back to when the first image for this project was released to the public. As Tron: Ares’ deep lore Easter egg showed us, Mr. Ares is a product of the more than likely insidious presence known as Dillinger Systems. The long standing foes to Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) and the ENCOM brand, I can’t convince myself that the red-tinted Program has good thoughts about that computing legacy – at least not his initial form.
Perhaps as Jared Leto works his way through the picture, we’ll see his new figure on the chessboard that is “Dillinger Systems vs. ENCOM” pushing for a truce of some sort. Think of it as sort of rebellion against his lineage in this cruel game, as one might presume that Evan Peters’ Julian Dillinger has created him for some real world chaos.
Thinking back to Ares’ D23 2024 presentation, the Morbius actor’s claim of being the “Master Control of the Dillinger Grid” does seem to support that case. Also, if he’s from the “Dillinger Grid,” was Tron: Legacy’s setting technically known as the “Flynn Grid?” Could any other Grids come forth and proclaim its existence? If so… can I have one? Please?
You can start to see why waiting for Tron: Ares has been a challenge for myself and all other fans of this Disney franchise. And on October 10th, we’ll all experience what Ares is trying to achieve in the real world – and what it could mean for Users and Programs alike. End of Line.