Ares has appeared frequently in modern popular culture; he usually appears as the ancient Greek god of war in the most generally familiar classical mythology.
TV and Film
Ares appears in Disney's Hercules and its TV spinoff, voiced by Jay Thomas. Ares is a regular character in the television series Xena: Warrior Princess, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, and Young Hercules. Portrayed by Kevin Tod Smith (credited as Kevin Smith), he is scripted as a conflicted God who is torn between his passionate desire for Xena and his inherent desire to foster war and people's evil nature. The character is one of the more complex of the series. After the fall of the Olympian Gods, Ares is rendered mortal but restores his godhood along back with his sister Aphrodite after having a bite of Odin's apple through Xena's help. On the Hercules shows he was Hercules' constant antagonist. Ares was portrayed by Daniel Sharman in the 2011 film Immortals. During the events of the film, he, along with Athena (Isabel Lucas), Poseidon (Kellan Lutz), Apollo (Corey Sevier), and Heracles (Steve Byers), are warned by Zeus (Luke Evans) not to interfere in mortal affairs as gods unless the Titans are released. However, Ares ends up defying Zeus and directly intervenes to save Theseus (Henry Cavill) from Hyperion's men, after which he and Athena provide Theseus and his companions with horses in order to reach Mount Tartarus, where the Titans have been imprisoned. However, Zeus arrives and, in a fit rage, kills Ares for disobeying him. Zeus then tells Theseus and his allies to let Ares' death be a warning to both the gods and them that they will receive no more help from the gods and he must justify the faith Zeus has in him alone. In the short-lived television series Valentine, Ares was a businessman who went by the name Ari. Initially, he was the villain of the series. He indirectly threatened Kate, refused to give Grace a divorce, and had an antagonistic relationship with Ray. However, he had a positive, albeit awkward, relationship with his son, Danny. As the series progressed, Ari's relationship with Grace improved and he was charged with finding a weapon for his father. Unfortunately, in a battle against Bastet for that weapon, Ari was fatally wounded. Greg Ellis portrayed Ari and appeared in all eight episodes that aired. Ares was portrayed by Edgar Ramirez in the Wrath of the Titans, sequel of Clash of the Titans. Ares is the main antagonist and is voiced by Alfred Molina in the 2009 animated film, Wonder Woman. Ares is the main antagonist and is portrayed by David Thewlis in the DC Extended Universe film, Wonder Woman. Naga Ray/Hebitsukai Silver in Uchu Sentai Kyuranger is based on Ares. Ares is one of the main antagonists in the Netflix series Blood of Zeus.
Books and Comics
The "Ares Program" consisted of scientific missions to Mars, created by NASA, in the 2011 novel The Martian by Andy Weir. In Planet Comics there was a strip called Mars God of War, featuring a character based on Ares under his Roman alter ego Mars. This character was a villain who took over people's bodies in various attempts to cause war. A bat named Ares, who is a skilled combatant, is a main character in the book series The Underland Chronicles by Suzanne Collins. In John C. Wright's Chronicles of Chaos, he is a major character, an influential faction to be appeased when dealing with the children. Ares is a character in both DC Comics and Marvel Comics. Ares is a side character in the webcomic Lore Olympus, making his first appearance in episode 82. Ares is the name given to the second spaceship to land on the planet Mars, in Patrick Moore's science fiction novel, Mission to Mars (novel). In the Percy Jackson book series, Ares is a major antagonist in the first novel, Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief and a supporting character in the rest of the series. He, later, reappears as Mars in the spin-off series, Heroes of Olympus, and is revealed to be the father of one of the main characters, Frank Zhang. In the feature film Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, he is portrayed by Ray Winstone.