Tron Franchise Future Gets Disappointing Update After Jared Leto's Ares Flops

Reviving long dormant franchises is always going to be something of an uphill battle, especially if there's not a lot of mainstream support behind it. The arrival of "Tron: Ares" comes about 15 years after Joseph Kosinski's "Tron: Legacy," which was itself 28 years removed from the original "Tron" (the Steven Lisberger-directed sci-fi film that's considered a pioneering venture of CGI). The "Tron" brand had largely been kept alive by way of the first two films — and a surprisingly lauded single-season television series — garnering a cult fanbase. There were certainly enough reasons for this niche group to be excited about a third film finally coming to theaters, but to the casual moviegoing public, not even the inclusion of a pretty rad NIN soundtrack could move the needle.

"Ares" had a pretty disappointing weekend at the box office, falling well below expectations and raking in $60.2 million worldwide on a $180 million budget. Even worse, the domestic gross was only $33.2 million from over 4,000 theaters. According to The Hollywood Reporter, industry insiders say the failure of "Ares" signals the end of "Tron" as a blockbuster franchise. But movies are more than their monetary intake. It would be one thing if "Ares" itself was any good, and it's just not. In his review, /Film's Witney Seibold called the film "a thoughtless sequel with an uncharismatic lead." The movie's greater critical reception was equally tepid at best, as was the B+ Cinemascore earned by "Ares," which indicates audiences aren't enthusiastic about reentering the Grid. At the center of this particular storm is Jared Leto, who's now proven he's box office poison that only further hurt the Disney threequel's prospects.

Leto proved to be a great actor earlier in his career and even won an Academy Award at one point. The industry may have considered him an A-list talent, but "Morbius" being a disaster on all fronts, coupled with the actor's sexual misconduct allegations, proved his goodwill has just about faded among contemporary audiences (via AirMail). He's nowhere near the same kind of draw he used to be. "Ares" just about deflates like a balloon whenever he's onscreen opposite more compelling actors like Greta Lee, Jodie Turner-Smith, and Jeff Bridges. Leto had been attached to headline and produce the "Tron" threequel since 2017, which meant he was locked into its development long before his most recent box office flops and public persona backlash. Of course, some industry folks claim that "Ares" would've still faltered with a more bankable name like Ryan Gosling at the helm instead of Leto. "If you say, ”Tron: Ares' is good, we just needed a different actor,' you're deluding yourself," one insider told THR.

The truth of why "Ares" flopped lies somewhere in the middle. Another "Tron" film was always going to be a hard sell for those who aren't already entrenched in the property's techno-visuals and bio-digital jazz, man. Switching up composer duties with Daft Punk for NIN was like a consolation prize for Leto's involvement, rather than an additional aspect of the film to look forward to. A better marquee name could've slightly boosted its chances. As is, though, "Ares" is far from the franchise reinvention that Disney was hoping for, especially with a mid-credits scene destined to join the long list of similar stingers teasing sequels unlikely to ever see the light of day.

"Tron: Ares" is currently playing in theaters.