'Tron: Ares' Exclusive Deleted Scene Reveals Surprise Cameo

Originally posted on Men's Journal | By Ryan Britt | Last updated Nov 28, 2025 9:20 AM ET

One of the slickest movies of the year is coming home. On December 2, you'll be able to purchase Tron: Ares on digital, and on January 6, it will be available as physical media on DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K. When you do watch it at home, make sure you've got a massive screen and great speakers. This is not one of those movies you want to watch on your phone, if you can help it!

The home release of Tron: Ares is also packed with impressive special features and extras. And right now, ahead of the digital home release, Men's Journal is pumped to present an exclusive deleted scene from Tron: Ares, one which features a deep-cut cameo of the creator of everything.

Tron: Ares Deleted Scene: Steven Lisberger Cameo

The deleted scene comes from the moment in the movie in which Ares (Jared Leto) and Even (Greta Lee) are on the run, trying to find some kind of transportation. They steal a utility van labeled with the word "Shaddix." For very hardcore Tron fans, this word is already an Easter egg; Shaddix is the name of a digital bartender from Tron: Legacy, who, in 2010, was played by Steven Lisberger, the creator and director of the original Tron in 1987.

And, sure enough, Lisberger appears in this scene, clearly the guy who owns the van. When he sees Ares, he says, confidently, "You're a program!"

Does this mean that he's playing the same Shaddix from Legacy, who was also a program? Does he recognize Ares from the Grid, because he escaped, too?

It's mostly just a fun Easter egg, but it's nice to think that the real-life creator of Tron, Steven Lisberger, may also have access to the Permanence Code.

Tron: Ares is out for Digital purchase on December 2, and on Blu-ray on January 6, 2026. Tron (1987) and Tron: Legacy (2010) both stream on Disney+.

This article first appeared on Men's Journal and was syndicated with permission.

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