Disney Almost Used AI as a Character in TRON: ARES

Disney’s upcoming sci-fi sequel Tron: Ares almost leaned harder into its futuristic themes by literally using artificial intelligence as a character in the film.

According to a recent report from The Wall Street Journal, early in development Disney explored the idea of using generative AI to power an animated character named Bit.

This AI-driven sidekick would’ve interacted in real time with Jeff Bridges, who returns to the franchise. The concept was that a writer would feed information into the AI during scenes, and the character, voiced by an actor, would generate on-the-spot dialogue in response to Bridges’ character.

The experiment was rooted in the film’s plot, which centers on an AI soldier crossing over into the real world. Executives thought it’d be fitting to reflect that theme within the filmmaking itself.

However, that crazy idea didn’t make it past the planning phase. At the time, Disney was deep in negotiations with Hollywood’s writers and actors unions. With tensions high and industry discussions around AI already sparking heated debate, Disney opted to abandon the plan to avoid stirring any additional controversy.

As the report puts it, executives were warned internally not to risk “bad publicity” around the AI concept. I think that might’ve been kinda cool and interesting, though.

The film is directed by Joachim Rønning, known for Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, Young Woman and the Sea, and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. The script comes from Jesse Wigutow.

Tron: Ares is set to hit theaters on October 10, 2025, and features a stacked cast including Jared Leto, Greta Lee, Evan Peters, Hasan Minhaj, Jodie Turner-Smith, Arturo Castro, Cameron Monaghan, Gillian Anderson, Jeff Bridges, and Sarah Desjardins.

As the third official installment in the Tron franchise following Tron (1982) and Tron: Legacy (2010), Tron: Ares is shaping up to continue the series’ legacy of exploring the edge where technology meets humanity.