Even ‘Tron: Ares’ Incredible New Cast Member Can’t Make Up for the Originals

Tron: Ares continues to add to its impressive cast. It’s just not who I want to be added to the line-up. Recently, Gillian Anderson joined Greta Lee, Jodie Turner-Smith, Cameron Monaghan, and Jared Leto in the highly anticipated sequel. You’ll notice Jeff Bridges and Garrett Hedlund are not listed.

As a Tron: Legacy apologist, hearing about a “Tron 3” that doesn’t seem to include Kevin Flynn, Sam Flynn, or even Alan Bradley (Bruce Boxleitner) means that this movie isn’t hitting the same buttons for me. That hurts, given that this cast is filled with actors I genuinely do love! But knowing that this movie doesn’t continue the Flynn legacy (yes, I remember what happened to Kevin) does sting.

Look, it isn’t a surprise I want to see Jeff Bridges back. Famously, I love him very dearly, and he reminds me of my father, so his presence is a comfort to me. All that aside, Bridges’ name is ingrained in every aspect of the franchise. He was the reason the first movie connected with so many people—it wasn’t just the revolutionary effects that made these movies so popular. The Flynn name is inextricable from the Tron franchise, so Sam and Kevin being excluded, for whatever reason, does have me a bit worried.

Sam Flynn was a great addition to the world of Tron in Legacy, and the movie was seemingly setting up a world where Sam would be this generation’s Kevin. But as there’s no news of Garrett Hedlund’s involvement in the movie, it does make me wonder what this installment is going to be about.

Is this a reboot? Is this a sequel? What is Tron: Ares?

Rumor has it that this movie is going to be something completely new, and if that is the case, I have mixed feelings. Ares (Leto) is a completely new character, but that doesn’t necessarily mean anything, especially if they were to add Hedlund and Bridges (along with Olivia Wilde’s Quorra) to the cast.

The fact is, we just don’t know what is going on, which is fine—I would happily wait to see what the creatives behind Tron: Ares have in store. With Joachim Rønning (Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar’s Revenge) directing, I do think the movie has the potential to be amazing, and I want to go back on the Grid more than anything. But my heart does hurt at the idea that whatever this movie turns out to be, it won’t include Sam or Kevin.

What does give me hope is the fact that they continue to market this movie as a Tron 3, meaning that it should, presumably, feel like a continuation of the story we already know and love. Maybe we’ll get just a little nod to Kevin and Sam, and this story won’t be our only return to the world of Tron. But, for now, I’m going to keep my fingers crossed that Gillian Anderson is not the last announcement we get for the Tron: Ares cast.

(featured image: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)