The Tron: Ares cast is shaping up to be one of the most talked-about ensembles of 2025. For over a decade, rumors swirled about whether Disney would receive the Tron series, especially after the modest commercial success and mixed critical reception of the 2010 Tron: Legacy. Now, with a standalone sequel in motion, the studio is clearly betting big on the power of its cast to deliver a fresh and unforgettable experience.
According to Disney, Tron: Ares’ plot centers on its titular character, Ares, who is a highly sophisticated digital program. Ares, who’s sent into the human world on a mission, becomes humanity’s first encounter with an Artificial Intelligence. To breathe life into its characters, the Tron: Ares cast consists of new cast members to the franchise, A-list stars, and a returning cast member. Here are the Tron: Ares cast and the characters they play.
Jared Leto as Ares
Actor and musician Jared Leto leads the Tron: Ares cast as Ares. He portrays the sentient AI created by Julian Dillinger. As the film’s protagonist, Ares is sent on a dangerous mission into the real world. In recent years, Jared Leto is known for his roles as the Joker in Suicide Squad (2016) and Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021), his portrayal of Paolo Gucci in House of Gucci (2021), and Michael Morbius in Morbius (2022).
Greta Lee as Eve Kim
Actress Greta Lee stars as Eve Kim, a central human character in Tron: Ares. The character is portrayed as a brilliant, deeply analytical programmer and tech entrepreneur. Greta Lee, who made her screen acting debut in 2006, has grown her profile in Hollywood in the past two decades. Lee is known for her role as Maxine in Netflix’s Russian Doll series (2019–2022) and Stella Bak in The Morning Show. Although her last credits on the big screen have been voice roles, she last appeared in Past Lives (2023), Problemista (2023), and Late Fame (2025).
Evan Peters as Julian Dillinger
Evans Peters joins the Tron: Ares cast as Julian Dillinger. It is a character whose surname carries historical weight in the Tron universe. In Tron: Ares, the character is the central antagonist who wields significant influence over the Dillinger Grid. Evan Peters is best known for portraying Peter Maximoff/Quicksilver in X-Men films and Dark Phoenix (2019). His most recent famous role was portraying American serial killer and sex offender Jeffrey Dahmer in the first season of Netflix’s Monster series Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.
Jodie Turner-Smith as Athena
British actress Jodie Turner-Smith also joins the main Tron: Ares cast as Athena. Her character is introduced as the formidable, uncompromising second-in-command to Jared Leto’s Ares character. Turner-Smith portrays her character with physical intensity and a fierce loyalty. Making her acting debut in 2013, Jodie Turner-Smith has been phenomenal in the past decade. Since the 2020s, she has portrayed Anne Boleyn in the three-part British series, played God in Sex Education (2023), and Mother Aniseya in The Acolyte (2024). She also starred in Murder Mystery 2 (2023), Bad Monkey (2024), and The Agency TV series.
Arturo Castro as Seth Flores
In Tron: Ares, Guatemalan actor Arturo Castro plays Seth Flores. His character is Eve Kim’s assistant, who provides a bit of comic relief in his interactions alongside her. Arturo Castro’s breakthrough role was in Comedy Central’s sitcom Broad City (2014–2019). He also played David Rodríguez in Netflix’s Narcos (2017) and Pablo Escobar in Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (2022).
Gillian Anderson as Elisabeth Dillinger
Also joining the Tron: Ares cast is American actress Gillian Anderson, who plays Elisabeth Dillinger. Her character is the mother of Julian Dillinger (Evan Peters). As the matriarch of the Dillinger dynasty, Elizabeth is a part of the powerful ENCOM corporation. The two-time Emmy Award-winning actress has starred in several notable projects on television. Her last most prominent roles were as Jean Milburn in Sex Education (2019–2023), Margaret Thatcher in The Crown (2020), and Eleanor Roosevelt in The First Lady (2022).
Jeff Bridges as Kevin Flynn
Veteran actor Jeff Bridges returns to the franchise, reprising his role as Kevin Flynn. His supposed death in Tron: Legacy, after he merged with Clu to secure his son’s escape, makes his return highly anticipated by true fans of the franchise. Having established himself as a leading man in Hollywood, Jeff Bridges’s career spans seven decades. Interestingly, the last time Bridges starred in a film was as far back as 2018, in Bad Times at the El Royale. His most recent role before joining the Tron: Ares cast was in FX’s The Old Man TV series (2022–2024).
