'Tron: Ares' Finale Explained: What Happened to Julian & Where Is Ares Going?

Tron: Ares' final scenes laid the foundation for the future of the franchise, leaving viewers with unanswered questions and hints about what's to come.

Now, let's take a closer look at what happened at the climax of Ares and what it could mean for the future of the Tron universe.

What Is 'Tron: Ares' About?

Tech giants ENCOM and Dillinger Systems are battling for digital supremacy. ENCOM is led by Eve Kim, and Dillinger Systems is led by Julian Dillinger.

Julian creates a squad of digital soldiers led by the Ares program to carry out dangerous missions in the real world. However, these programs have one key limitation: they cannot remain in the real world for more than 29 minutes. Both companies are searching for the "permanence code" to overcome it.

Kim wants to use the code for peaceful purposes, such as transporting useful digital objects into the real world. Meanwhile, Julian strives to create an invincible army.

When Ares is sent into the real world to steal the code from Eve, he gains humanity and begins to question his creator's cruel plans.

What Happened in the Finale of 'Tron: Ares'?

In the finale, Ares defected to Eve Kim after reconsidering his views and helped her stop Julian. Before he could be arrested, however, Julian managed to digitize himself and escape into the network.

Eve unveiled her civilian technology to the world: a method of creating food and medicine out of thin air. This technology promises to solve global hunger and disease, radically changing the world for the better.

Using the "permanence code," Ares remained in the real world and embarked on a journey to understand humanity. He came into possession of photographs of Sam and Quorra.

In a post-credits scene, Julian finds a disk in the digital world that contains the Master Control Program, the main antagonist from the original Tron. By teaming up with this powerful, hostile AI, he prepares to become a massive threat to the network and reality.

Will There Be a 'Tron: Ares' Sequel?

Disney has not yet officially approved a sequel to Tron: Ares.

Ares' weak critical and financial performance doesn't inspire much optimism about the fourth installment. Therefore, the future of the franchise remains uncertain, and all we can do is wait for the studio's decision.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Tron: Ares'?

• Tron: Ares has 55% from critics and 87% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the movie has a score of 6.7/10.