Audiences will soon be able to return to the Tron universe with the upcoming Tron: Ares, but the new film can’t forget Sam Flynn and Quorra. While Tron: Legacy saw a human enter the virtual world similarly to the 1982 original Tron, the new Tron: Ares trailer promises a very different experience. Instead, Tron: Ares will follow a program as it ventures from the virtual world into the real world for the first time while undertaking a dangerous mission.
The movie’s cast is led by Jared Leto, who will be joined by Greta Lee, Evan Peters, Gillian Anderson, Jeff Bridges, and more. Along with its great cast, Tron: Ares has also teased updated lightcycles and technology. Although the new updates do sound exciting, there sadly has been no word yet on whether Garrett Hedlund and Olivia Wilde will reprise their roles from the previous film, despite how important they could be to the story.
Tron: Ares’ Story Directly Builds On Sam Flynn & Quorra’s Ending In Tron: Legacy
Tron: Legacy Gave Sam And Quorra A Happy Ending
Despite the years between Tron: Ares and Tron: Legacy, Tron: Ares will serve as a direct sequel to the 2010 movie. The trailer for the upcoming film reveals that technology from The Grid will make its way into the real world, meaning that the programs will pose more danger than ever. This reveal perfectly follows the end of Tron: Legacy, which saw Sam and Quorra escape from The Grid back to the real world, making Quorra the only known computer program to have done so to that point.
In fact, the entire plot of Tron: Legacy revolves around Sam, Quorra, and Kevin Flynn attempting to stop the evil Clu program from escaping into the real world. By Tron: Legacy‘s ending, Flynn merges with Clu to save the others and the real world from Clu’s tyranny. The events in The Grid also prompt Sam to take stronger action within ENCOM, giving him another big reason to appear in Tron: Ares. Likewise, with Quorra being an algorithm living among humans, she could become important in the upcoming sequel’s fight between the two worlds.
Sam & Quorra Could Still Be Important To Tron: Ares Even If Garrett Hedlund & Olivia Wilde Don’t Appear
Tron: Ares Will See Other Programs Enter The Real World
It would be great to see Olivia Wilde and Garrett Hedlund return to Tron: Ares as Quorra and Sam, but even if the two actors themselves don’t make an appearance, their characters will likely still be important to the story. Since Tron: Ares will serve as a sequel, it seems safe to ᴀssume that the two characters would still exist, and their past actions could have influenced the current invasion. Thus, new characters may have to use what Sam and Quorra learned to solve the movie’s AI problems.
Though neither Wilde nor Hedlund have confirmed whether they will make appearances, Jeff Bridges, who starred in both Tron and Tron: Legacy, is slated to return. Given that his character, Flynn, seemingly sacrificed himself at the end of Tron: Legacy yet is still making an appearance in the upcoming film, it seems possible that the other stars will too. While it is unconfirmed at this point, I am still hoping that the characters will make at least a brief return in Tron: Ares.