The trailer for Tron: Ares may quietly set up Sam Flynn to play a part in the film. The third TRON film, Tron: Ares brings a number of programs into the material world — only for one of them to break loose of the constraints and seemingly rebel. This is a big departure from the previous focus of the last film in the series, which was centered on Garrett Hedlund’s Sam Flynn and his own adventures in the Grid.

Sam has been absent from the marketing for Tron: Ares, with most of the released material instead highlighting Jared Leto’s Ares. However, eagle eyed fans might have caught a clue about Sam’s importance to the new film, even if he remains absent from the primary plot. If one of these theories about Tron: Ares is right, then Sam might even be the impetus for Ares to rebel against his creators and break free of their control.

Tron: Ares’ Trailer Might’ve Revealed A Sneaky Sam Flynn Reference

Is Ares Looking For Sam?

One subtle sH๏τ in the trailer for Tron: Ares seems to be a reference to Sam Flynn, who could prove to be one of the film’s biggest mysteries. At one point in the trailer, Ares can be seen accessing a digital database of files and memories. Among them are some flashbacks that fans on Reddit have theorized might be Sam’s memories.

This suggests that Ares might have some connection to Sam, explaining what he’s looking for and why he eventually makes his way to Flynn, Sam’s father. These memories seem to have an impact on Ares as well, and might play into how and why Ares is developing emotions and feelings.

Why Tron: Ares Needs To Bring Back Sam

Tron: Ares Can’t Just Forget How Important Sam Was To The Universe

Sam was the protagonist of Tron: Legacy, Flynn’s estranged son who ventured into the Grid and brought the ISO program Quorra with him back into the real world. Considering that TRON: Ares is focused on programs like Ares being brought into the material world, it would be surprising for Legacy not to address Sam at all.

However, it remains unclear how Sam could be connected to Ares. One theory is that Ares is based somewhat on Sam’s mind, which was briefly in the Grid and could have been duplicated in some manner. This would explain why Ares is looking through the memories and experiencing them firsthand.

It’s also possible that Ares, like Quorra before him, seeks to be free of the Grid entirely and be let loose into the wider world. If that’s the case, then Ares might be on the hunt for Sam and Quorra, hoping they can help him in some way fully earn his freedom.

Sam was an important character in the previous film, as well as a unique figure within the lore of Tron. While it’s still unclear how closely connected TRON: Legacy will be to TRON: Ares, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Sam factor into the narrative in some way. A hunt for Sam could even be a compelling central hook for Tron: Ares

Source: Reddit