One of the best times in the cinema in 2025 was, oddly enough, overlooked by the vast majority of moviegoing audiences. Despite early good buzz, Tron: Ares ended up with a 53 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes and took $142 million at the box office total, against a budget of $220 million. This, technically, is what is called a bomb, or a flop. And, the result of the Ares flop has seemingly killed the future of the Tron franchise. Or has it?
According to streaming reports, including streaming metrics at FlixPatrol, the number one movie on Disney+ since January 7, 2026, for a full week, is Tron: Ares.
That’s right, since Tron: Ares hit Disney+, it has charted ahead of both Avatar and Avatar: The Way of Water, despite the fact that the third Avatar film, Fire & Ash, was a smash success at the box office.
Is this news some vindication for Tron fans? Well, if you hit up X right now, and look for recent tweets about Ares, you’ll find mostly jubilant sentiments from those who either loved the movie back in October or are just discovering it on home video or streaming. Here at Men’s Journal, we gave Tron: Ares a positive review at the time of release, noting that the sound and visuals were amazing. Even if some felt the story was lacking, there was no denying that this film had its heart in the right place when it came to delivering an original spectacle.
In a sense, Tron: Ares was a misunderstood, failed blockbuster. Critics likely expected a slightly more complex story than the film was offering, and mixed opinions about Jared Leto in general may have hurt the perception of the movie. Or, maybe people were saving their money before Predator: Badlandsand Avatar: Fire & Ashwere released.
In any case, Tron: Ares‘ streaming comeback is a good thing for fans of the film and the franchise. If you missed Greta Lee’s excellent role as Alice Kim in the movie or Jeff Bridges’ nostalgic return, now is a good time as any to log back onto the Grid.
