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In another life, Tron: Ares would’ve given longtime fans what they wanted and brought back Cillian Murphy.
Murphy appeared in 2010’s Tron: Legacy as Ed Dillinger Jr., with many figuring that he’d have a bigger part to play in a theoretical third film. Concept art for Ares by Phil Saunders shows the team explored the idea of making Murphy “the new Sark,” the command program made by Dillinger’s father Ed Sr. in the first film. But Saunders explained on his ArtStation the artwork was less of a sure thing and more of a way to “lure [Murphy] to the production to reprise his role as the junior Dillinger.”
Scrapped early concept art of Cillian Murphy as the new Sark in ""TRON: ARES"" ! ! !🔥😈🔴💯
• As cool as he looks in that suit i can't even imagine how sick his role would've been as the new sark wich is just such missed opportunity.😞🤷♂️
(Via: @saundersphil)#TronAres #TRON pic.twitter.com/k6uUJKk6Cw
— Ground Breaker ☲ (@GroundBreaker50) February 19, 2026
When Murphy passed on coming back, the concept of a Dillinger becoming Sark was ultimately passed onto Ed Jr.’s son Julian (Evan Peters). In Tron: Ares’ post-credit scene, Julian goes into the Grid to escape the police and finds the Sark disc, where the armor materializes around him before the screen cuts to black. Will this idea ever get paid off? Unlikely, but never say never.
Outside of the Sark art, Saunders published more Ares concept art for things like the Recognizer crashing into the city, Dillinger’s version of the Skimmer and Grid Portal, and Ares’ bike helmet. Each artwork has some insight into his process, like creating the portal beams in reference to coaxial cables or using the Legacy effects to create the Skimmer’s rez-up effect. You can see it all at his ArtStation, along with his work on other films like Legacy and several Marvel films.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
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Source: Gizmodo