TRON: ARES Is The End For TRON In Theaters; Jared Leto's "Currency Has Run Colder Than MORBIUS' Vampire Blood"

A bombshell new report reveals that TRON's time as a big screen property is likely over after TRON: Ares bombed. As for Jared Leto, his stock in Hollywood has plummeted after leading another flop...

News

By JoshWilding - Oct 15, 2025 02:10 PM EST

Filed Under: Tron

Source: THR (via SFFGazette.com)

TRON: Ares opened to mixed reviews (54% on Rotten Tomatoes) last week and underperformed at the domestic box office, making only $33.2 million. Overseas, the TRON and TRON: Legacy follow-up only managed to gross $27 million for a dismal $60.2 million worldwide start.

The movie is already in "flop" territory, thanks to a production budget of at least $180 million. A so-so B+ CinemaScore suggests TRON: Ares won't find an audience in the weeks ahead, and The Hollywood Reporter (via SFFGazette.com) has learned that the franchise's time as a theatrical property is almost certainly over.

According to the trade, "sources say Tron will likely retire from the big screen," with the blame placed at the feet of the IP and, to a lesser extent, lead star Jared Leto.

"Alarmed Disney executives had no idea whether other accusations might emerge" after allegations of sexual misconduct emerged earlier this year, and were relieved when nothing did. Leto is described as having been a "consummate professional" during the press tour and scored seven figures for his on-screen role and an additional seven figures for producing.

Interestingly, Leto is said to have pushed to lead his own TRON movie, but between TRON: Ares and Morbius, it seems Hollywood has accepted that the Oscar-winner doesn't sell tickets. That means he can forget being paid as a top star moving forward.

"The kinds of hefty paydays Leto earned for Ares could be in the past," the report explains, "as an agency partner says that studios already had stepped away from the actor as a leading-man choice after the failure of Sony’s Spider-Man universe spinoff Morbius."

"'In a world where Michael Fassbender, Ewan McGregor and Benedict Cumberbatch are having a hard time getting lead roles, why would you even go to a person who can’t open a movie and who has question marks around him as a person?' asks one top talent manager partner."

The trade adds, "With Ares flopping, the insider says Leto’s currency in town has run colder than Morbius’ vampire blood. To be clear, the flameout of Tron isn’t Leto’s burden alone. 'You could have had Ryan Gosling, it wasn’t going to work,' says the first agency partner. 'No one asked for this reboot. If you say, 'Tron: Ares is good, we just needed a different actor,' you’re deluding yourself.'"

So, it's not entirely Leto's fault that TRON: Ares bombed (the franchise has never produced box office hits), but he can blame the movie for likely relegating him to B-movie status moving forward.

The actor has a string of noteworthy failures to his name in the blockbuster realm—his portrayal of The Joker in 2016's Suicide Squad remains hugely unpopular—so it might not be a bad idea for the Fifty Seconds to Mars frontman to take another crack at more dramatic roles.

Masters of the Universe is up next for Leto, where he'll play the villainous Skeletor. As for TRON, the property has a big presence in a couple of Disney theme parks, so the House of Mouse may turn to streaming to restore The Grid.

TRON: ARES Post-Credits Scene And What It Means For TRON 4 Explained By Director Joachim Rønning

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55 Comments

1 2

Malatrova15 - 10/15/2025, 2:13 PM

Jared Leto has dirt on some Epstein friendly executive or is in a pact whit some babylonian demon, because he was never a strong ticket seller beyond his try hard band and yet he still lands major roles

Kadara - 10/15/2025, 3:51 PM

@Malatrova15 - We are still talking about Epstein? Trump told you all, just let it go. Also Ghislaine Max, such a wonderful lady, she deserves a full Pardon.

Malatrova15 - 10/15/2025, 4:06 PM

@Kadara - i mean...if he said It...

Kadara - 10/15/2025, 4:13 PM

@Malatrova15 - There ya go, good sheep. (Pats softly)

WalletsClosed - 10/15/2025, 2:14 PM

If any studio hires Leto, they're asking for a flop at this point.

Reboot the MCU and DCU

foreverintheway - 10/15/2025, 2:32 PM

@WalletsClosed - what does MCU or DCU have to do with any of this?

Malatrova15 - 10/15/2025, 2:43 PM

@foreverintheway - nothing.....everything 🤜🏼🤛🏼

Usernametaken - 10/15/2025, 3:55 PM

@foreverintheway - They know what they did.

kaijunexus - 10/15/2025, 2:14 PM

GOOD! [frick] Leto.

Wahhvacado - 10/15/2025, 2:17 PM

His best role was when he got be shit beat out of him

luckypenny - 10/15/2025, 2:42 PM

@Wahhvacado -

Wahhvacado - 10/15/2025, 2:57 PM

@luckypenny - Also fantastic!

HumanRubiksCube - 10/15/2025, 2:18 PM

WAIT! this is tron???? whole time i thought it was MORBIUS 2099!!!
LMAO

GComix85 - 10/15/2025, 2:20 PM

"with the blame placed at the feet of the IP and, to a lesser extent, lead star Jared Leto."

It's funny, Jared Leto is constantly being put in the "Tron flops" headlines because people rage over him, but the fact of the matter is Tron is a franchise that just doesn't have a large audience. It never has.

ShimmyShimmyYA - 10/15/2025, 3:01 PM

@GComix85 - every tron movie becomes a cult classic idk why they think it’ll be a blockbuster

Usernametaken - 10/15/2025, 4:01 PM

@GComix85 - Maybe Disney will do what they did with Alien, Romulus cost only 80 million and ended being a success.

Just do the same with Tron.

SATW42 - 10/15/2025, 2:20 PM

I mean @joshwilding, I really try not to harp on you too much but the headline:

TRON: ARES Is The End For TRON In Theaters

vs what is actually in your article:

According to the trade, "sources say Tron will likely retire from the big screen,"

You didn't even use a rumor qualifier, your headline states it as fact, only to be pretty much refuted in your article, with the only source being an "insider" who says "it's likely" done. You couldve said the same thing after legacy, but here we are

HistoryofMatt - 10/15/2025, 2:29 PM

It's amazing how Disney always finds "reasons" for their continued flops at the box office without blaming the actual problem:

Their demand for Woke bullshit being forced into every movie they make. For this movie, it was replacing the previous heroes of Tron with a multi-ethnic Mary Sue Girl Boss with zero flaws, personality, or qualities regular people would ever find relatable.

Rpendo - 10/15/2025, 2:58 PM

@HistoryofMatt - “woke” had nothing to do with why this bombed.

Tron is not a franchise with a huge fan base. The marketing for this was awful. No one likes Jared Leto. No one asked for this sequel. The last Tron movie didn’t do great, either, and that was when people were actually going to the movies consistently.

I honestly cannot fathom why this movie was made. Who was it for? How did they expect to make any kind of real return after theatrical release? And, honestly…why Leto?

NightEagle3 - 10/15/2025, 3:31 PM

@HistoryofMatt - lmao article clearly states no one wanted a Tron Universe movie as the IP has been dying for decades.

Article clearly states The White Man with a questionable history and has been accused of so much misconduct and hasn't been a driving force in over a decade.

You Idiots on the Internet: CLEARLY this is the fault of a person of color.

You inbred idiots never cease to amaze me with your racism and stupidity lol

WiscoKid - 10/15/2025, 3:56 PM

@Rpendo - The franchise no one asked for bombs at the box office. Who knew?

I don't mind Leto but I wouldn't go see a movie just because he was in it either.

I mean, he's not Nic Cage. LOL.

Usernametaken - 10/15/2025, 4:05 PM

@Rpendo - "The marketing for this was awful."

They did hire Mr Beast. So... yeah, it was awful.

cham2119 - 10/15/2025, 4:28 PM

@HistoryofMatt - y'all whole community desperately needs to discover google so you can do a quick search for the word woke. It's actually shameful how y'all to a term meant to define a general understanding of reality to a catch all term for everything you don't like. It just goes to show how hateful people are incapable of creating they just take something and beat it until it's impossible to understand it's purpose

TheJester187 - 10/15/2025, 2:33 PM

He’s still rich. And gonna get a check form Masters of the Universe. You all pick and choose and don’t get the facts.

SATW42 - 10/15/2025, 2:43 PM

@TheJester187 - Are you Jared Leto? What does pointing out his net worth do FOR YOU?

What point are you proving? Jeff Bezos is stupid rich, but I still have to go to work tomorrow.

DarthOmega - 10/15/2025, 2:35 PM

We watched it yesterday. Believe it or not... Leto was actually the best part of the film as far as performances go. I already knew going in the story was gonna be mid. I knew it wouldn't be as good as Legacy. I went strictly for the visuals and I have to say, they are pretty incredible. I love IMAX 3D and this movie is incredible for that reason alone. NIN can't compete with Daft Punk, but they do an admirable job. The sound design is great. Also some pretty badass action scenes.

Some movies I go to for a deep story. Some I go to for a laugh. But sometimes I wanna watch a cool, visually stunning action flick. Chomp on some overpriced popcorn and soda in a big air conditioned theater with a reclining seat, top notch sound, a GIANT screen and just vibe out. I have to say the movie delivered that experience for me.

spr0cks - 10/15/2025, 3:09 PM

@DarthOmega -

I couldn't agree with you more.
I also saw it this weekend and you're not going to get better value for your money at an IMAX theater this year (....before the Avatar sequel hits).

If you know what you're going to get going in and don't have stupid expectations, then it's a fantastic time and a great watch.

Amazing visuals and action sequences, a pretty decent soundtrack with NIN* doing an admiral job (obviously not Daft Punk level, but again who was expecting that level without Daft Punk themselves being there?)

Very few times this year I've walked out of a theater satisfied I've gotten my money's worth and having been thoroughly entertained and this one definitely hit the mark.

(*Bonus round : Seeing Nine Inch Nails make their obligatory cameo as the Jet Fighter pilots attacking the Recognizer.
I didn't even immediately know it was Trent and Atticus).

DarthOmega - 10/15/2025, 3:22 PM

@spr0cks - Oh shit! I didn't catch that. Just like Daft Punk made a cameo in Legacy.

People do like to jump on hate bandwagons. I'm willing to bet half the people shitting on this film didn't even watch it. The box office certainly suggests that. I enjoyed the film. Those action sequences were freakin sick. One thing is for sure, you will NOT be bored at all watching this.

theFUZZ008 - 10/15/2025, 2:37 PM

He's box office kryptonite as a leading man. Can't carry a movie.

GComix85 - 10/15/2025, 2:41 PM

@theFUZZ008 - It's also a franchise very few are interested in

grif - 10/15/2025, 2:43 PM

another huge ass hit from disney. they cant be stopped.

TheUnworthyThor - 10/15/2025, 2:43 PM

I’ve heard such and such franchise is dead after a bomb too many times and it basically never is. Yeah this movie is probably not getting a direct sequel but 10 or 15 years from now somehow has an idea or a star that is a fan of the franchise or just the inherent value of keeping an IP alive pushes companies to make a new one. You get to sell all the old merch again and people rewatch the old films, new subscribers or digital renters and what have you.

kdav - 10/15/2025, 2:44 PM

It's articles like this that lower expectations significantly, and when you actually watch the movie, you come out of it pleasantly surprised. It was a lot better than many movies I've seen this year that were not flops...
The Story was not Shakespeare, the soundtrack and visuals were excellent, and the acting served the movie well.

asherman93 - 10/15/2025, 3:00 PM

Honestly, I'd argue Ares could've potentially been good, but Leto's involvement definitely dissuaded me from seeing this movie.

(Though really, given Top Gun Maverick and F1's success, Disney should be getting ready to beg Joseph Kosinski to come back and give us the Legacy sequel he already had planned. And just switch out Leto for Wes Bentley.)

ShimmyShimmyYA - 10/15/2025, 3:02 PM

That sucks but Tron has never been a booming franchise so no one should be surprised

Overall though I liked the movie hated that I had to watch leto

Ghoul - 10/15/2025, 3:03 PM

I liked him ever since Prefontaine way back. He made far better choices in his early career than he has in the last decade. I think the right ensemble movie could bring him back, he’s just never been a traditional leading actor but keeps getting those roles.

TheVandalore - 10/15/2025, 3:06 PM

I honestly don't like Leto as a person, but that aside, just as an actor I usually don't enjoy his work.

Tron Ares is a very flawed film.

All Tron films are very flawed films.

Honestly, the only Tron movie I care to watch somewhat frequently, perhaps once or twice a decade kinda thing, is actually Tron Legacy, and we all know that the Daft Punk soundtrack does all the heavy lifting.

But I honestly don't see Tron Ares as a bad film. Was it generic and did it have a soulless story that ultimately meant nothing to the series? Absolutely. But it also felt like they managed to tell a complete story in the small subsection of the Tron universe they set to cut out for themselves.

Granted, I didn't spend money on the film, but by the time the credits rolled, I wasn't left feeling upset. Rather I simply felt like I'd just went on an alright get away that could have been much much worse.

Honestly, mostly every complaint you will hear about this film is in fact valid, it's not a great or even good movie. It simply is... A movie. It exists, and I'm not especially mad that it does.

I can see this too gaining a little cult following, adding in some way to the overall legacy of the franchise but ultimately forgotten by the time we try out TRON on the big screen again in another 15 or so years.

I doubt Ares is a franchise killer.

TRON fights for the user.

DarthOmega - 10/15/2025, 3:28 PM

@TheVandalore - Like Legacy got praise for it's soundtrack adding to the cult following, I think Ares will get that following for how well executed the action scenes and VFX were. Especially at a time where both seem lacking in many modern action flicks. As soon as the hyperbole from most critics shitting on this film dies down a bit, People will revisit, and enjoy it. It's not great, but it's not even close to being bad imo.

clogan - 10/15/2025, 3:52 PM

@DarthOmega - The NIN soundtrack is also pretty dope! If you like NIN, definitely would suggest a listen!

DarthOmega - 10/15/2025, 4:16 PM

@clogan - I've been listening on my runs. It definitely get's the blood pumping.

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TRON: ARES Is The End For TRON In Theaters; Jared Leto's "Currency Has Run Colder Than MORBIUS' Vampire Blood"

A bombshell new report reveals that TRON's time as a big screen property is likely over after TRON: Ares bombed. As for Jared Leto, his stock in Hollywood has plummeted after leading another flop...

TRON: ARES Post-Credits Scene And What It Means For TRON 4 Explained By Director Joachim Rønning

TRON: ARES Crashes With $33.5 Million Domestic And $60 Million Global Box Office Debut

DISCLAIMER: As a user generated site and platform, Comic Book Movie is protected under the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) and "Safe Harbor" provisions.