Nine Inch Nails Have A Tron: Ares Cameo That You Probably Missed

This article contains mild spoilers for "Tron: Ares."

There are plenty of "for the betterment of humanity" reasons to want a time machine, but I've always secretly wondered how a group of industrial goths would react to learning that, in the 2020s, Atticus Ross and Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails fame would one day be a Tony away from the coveted EGOT distinction. The duo's first venture in cinematic scoring came with David Fincher's 2010 drama "The Social Network," which also earned them their first Academy Award for Best Original Score. In the years since, Reznor and Ross have become one of the most in-demand musical pairings for the big screen — so much so that there's a massive outcry when they aren't appreciated at the highest levels.

Reznor and Ross have scored a whopping three movies for 2025 alone: Scott Derrickson's "The Gorge" for Apple Studios, Luca Guadagnino's "After the Hunt," and, released on the exact same day as the latter, "Tron: Ares" directed by Joachim Rønning. Interestingly, however, is that "Tron: Ares" sees the duo credited specifically as Nine Inch Nails, making the soundtrack a new album to add to the band's discography, not unlike Daft Punk's music for "Tron: Legacy."

But their participation even takes things a step further, as in addition to serving as executive producers on the film, Reznor and Ross also have blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameos as F-35 pilots. While their faces are hidden behind pilot helmets (Reznor is "Pilot #1" and Ross is "Pilot #2" per the credits), behind-the-scenes photos of the pair in costume have begun circulating following the film's theatrical release.

Speaking with "Tron: Ares" screenwriter Jesse Wigutow in our exclusive interview, he credits the collaboration between the script and the production design team to incorporate elements and nods to the previous "Tron" films. "It was always a conversation, and part of it was driven by [knowing] that we're leaving some of the mythology out of this movie or some of the characters out, but how do we carry forward the legacy?" he tells me. "How do we, no pun intended. How do we carry forward the spirit and the kind of genetic, again, DNA of this franchise forward without some of the characters and mythology that we left behind in 'Legacy?'"

For "Tron: Ares" it manifests in a company called "Dumont," seen on recycling bins and a car that's stolen by Ares (Jared Leto) and ENCOM CEO Eve Kim (Greta Lee), which is a reference to the Tower Guardian from the original "Tron" played by Barnard Hughes. The pair also steals a van with the company name "Shaddix" plastered on the side, which seems to be a nod to franchise creator Steven Lisberger's bartender cameo character from "Tron: Legacy." There's a scene in the ENCOM building that is filled with little moments as they have a replica of Flynn's office built, almost like a small museum to honor him.

Of course, there are plenty of references to be found during the mid-credits sequence, but the cameos from Reznor and Ross are sure to be fan favorites.

"Tron: Ares" is currently playing in theaters everywhere.