New Tron: Ares concept art shows Cillian Murphy suited up as Sark, with artist admitting it was to "lure him to the production to reprise his role"

Film concept artist Phil Saunders has shared Tron: Ares concept art featuring Cillian Murphy as Sark... and apparently it wasn't enough to get the actor to sign on.

"One of the first things Production Designer Darren Gilford asked me to tackle on Tron: Legacy [sic] was a quick illustration of Cillian Murphy as the new Sark," Saunders wrote on his official ArtStation account. I think it was meant to lure him to the production to reprise his role as the junior Dillinger. Given his absence from the movie, I hope this illo isn't the reason he passed! As Moebius has always been a huge hero of mine (and a kinder, more gracious soul I've never met), I was thrilled to do a variation on his iconic costume. As usual, I rough out a few variations and am pleased when my favorite is selected." You can check out the photos below (but we recommend viewing them in 4K on Saunders' account).

Rather than see Edward Dillinger Jr. wreak havoc against Jared Leto's rogue AI Ares, and the world at large, the third (and possibly final) installment introduces Dillinger Jr.'s son Julian (Evan Peters) as the new CEO of Dillinger Systems. After learning that Eve Kim (Greta Lee) has obtained Kevin Flynn's permanence code, he sends combat programs Ares and Athena (Jodie Turner-Smith) after her.

Unfortunately for Julian, Ares develops sentience and ends up defending Eve against Athena, and uses the permanence code to become human. At the end of the film, Julian, as he's being pursued by police who want to take him in for destroying the entire city, jumps into the grid. In the final moments of the film, we see him grab a disc that emerges in the damaged grid. When he grabs it, a familiar headpiece starts to take shape... turning him into a new incarnation of the OG villain, Sark.

Tron: Ares was originally titled Tron: Ascension, but it was announced all the way back in 2017 that Disney was looking at a "soft reboot" rather than a direct sequel. This explains why a whole new crop of characters were included, rather than featuring Garrett Hedlund's Sam Flynn as well as Murphy. The ending of Tron 3 is meant to set things up for Tron 4, starring Peters in his new supervillain role, but poor box office returns and generally negative critics seem to have put things on hold for now.

Tron: Ares is streaming now on Disney Plus. For more, check out our list of the most exciting upcoming movies in 2026 and beyond, or check out our list of movie release dates.