Tron Ares Director Confirms His Vision for Tron 4 and the Post-Credits Scene Holds the Clue

The following contains spoilers for Tron: Ares.

Fans were delighted when Tron: Ares finally hit theaters. The good news is that director Joachim Rønning already has a vision for Tron 4.

Speaking to GamesRadar+, Rønning revealed how the post-credits scene in the new film hints at what's to come. "To be able to shoot the scene [where we] bring back Sark... everybody at Industrial Light & Magic was like, 'Oh my God!' It was going back to the original Tron Grid, which is kind of like the holy grail of VFX, even though it was not eligible for a VFX Academy Award in 1982 because they felt it was cheating at the time," the filmmaker said.

"And then the other thing was bringing back Sark, even though it's at the very end, it's just like hinting [at] something to come," Ronning continued. "I think that would be great. I think Julian Dillinger [Evan Peters] – it's a good starting point for that continuation of that character." The director also said he was grateful to everyone who bought a ticket to the film. "In this day and age, you never know where you will end up. And if we were to be that lucky, if enough people come watch it."

Tron: Ares picks up decades after the events of Tron: Legacy. The story follows Eve Kim (Greta Lee) as the sharp, forward-thinking CEO of Kevin Flynn's ENCOM. When Eve decides to find the permanence code, she sets in motion a chain of events that could redefine the boundaries between humanity and artificial intelligence. AIs can only survive outside the Grid for 29 minutes. But with the permanence code, they can exist as living, breathing entities.

The Stars of Tron: Ares Are Excited About A Potential Sequel

Things quickly spiral out of control when Ares (Jared Leto) develops his own desire to become human, turning against his creator to protect Eve instead. "I wish there was like a Tron series, you know, I could deal with a film every year or two," Leto explained. "For me, Tron is like a favorite album or band that you listen to. So it has a special place in my heart. And that's kind of a cool thing to be involved with a project that you're also a fan. We're the audience as well. We're passionate about it."

Lee shared a similar sentiment and excitement for a sequel. "There's so much that we could show, and given what this movie is, it really reflects the world right now," the actor said. "And I can't even begin to imagine how much will change by the time we get around to the next one. And I can only hope that we'll be able to reflect all of that, whatever that may be. And it's so complicated and dynamic, and I can't wait to see what happens."

Tron: Ares opened to an underwhelming $33.5 million during its opening weekend. The film also failed to impress critics, with the project currently holding a 57% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes. However, audiences have embraced the movie, giving it an 87% rating. The contrast is striking. Critics describe the film as "a sensory feast of vivid neon hues and a hypnotic soundtrack," that is "gorgeous to behold but too narratively programmatic to achieve an authentically human dimension."

Tron: Ares is currently playing in theaters worldwide.