Jeff Bridges’ Flynn Returns for Tron: Ares, Teased in New Promo Trailer

Jeff Bridges is back as Kevin Flynn in the new Tron: Ares promo and it’s a trip down memory lane. Released just weeks before the October 10th debut, this is an extended look at the third chapter and it’s got a little bit of everything: clips from the original 1982 Tron and 2010’s Tron: Legacy, as well as new footage.

Early on, we see the birth of the Grid from the first film, with Flynn’s initial dive into the computer world as a game designer turned reluctant hero. Those classic scenes of light cycles zooming across neon tracks and identity discs flying through the air set the tone of wonder and danger. Younger Flynn navigates the early digital battles, his face lit by the practical effects of the time that still hold up after 40 years. The sequence segues into Legacy footage where older Flynn is hiding out in the Grid, mentoring his digital creation while evading threats from his own flawed program, Clu.

A slight shift brings in new footage from Tron: Ares, focusing on Ares’ journey as an advanced program sent from the Grid to the real world. Leto appears in sleek, form-fitting armor, emerging into our world on what looks like a high-stakes mission gone wrong. Quick cuts show him adapting to human environments—streetlights flickering like Grid energy, crowds parting in confusion as digital elements bleed into everyday life.

Bridges re-enters the scene in a new pivotal scene that ties into Flynn’s ongoing mystery. A bearded Flynn, in a white robe, with purple glow, in what appears to be the original 1982 Grid—a preserved pocket of the franchise’s past. Ares shows up in this retro environment, seeking knowledge or guidance to move the plot forward. The scene raises immediate questions about what happened to Flynn after Legacy where he sacrificed himself to destroy Clu and save his son Sam. Is this the real Flynn, somehow surviving in digital exile? Or a remnant, a copy or something evolved?

Light Ribbons stretch from the Grid into cityscapes, creating hybrid battlefields where disc throws meet modern weapons. Bridges’ Flynn is the calm in the storm, his Grid home hinting at untold lore that could tip the scales. Hasan Minhaj and Jodie Turner-Smith show up in supporting roles to add to the human side of the story.