Tron: Ares Sequel Puzzling Fans

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Garrett Hedlund's Sam Flynn & Olivia Wilde's Quorra

At the heart of Tron: Legacy lies the dynamic duo of Garrett Hedlund's Sam Flynn and Olivia Wilde's Quorra. Sam, son of Jeff Bridges' tech visionary Kevin Flynn, embarks on a digital odyssey to locate his missing father and thwart CLU's sinister plans. Their journey introduces Quorra, a groundbreaking ISO (isomorphic algorithm) who represents spontaneous digital consciousness.

The film's conclusion presents clear sequel potential - Sam stepping into his corporate leadership role at Encom with Quorra, now physically manifested in the real world, by his side. This foundation was further reinforced by the home release's bonus short film "Tron: The Next Day," which showed Sam initiating his corporate transformation.

Yet Ares noticeably excludes both characters. While Disney's pivot may reflect Legacy's underwhelming $409M box office against its $170M production costs, abandoning these pivotal characters risks leaving narrative threads unresolved. The franchise faces creative challenges explaining Sam's abandoned leadership journey and Quorra's unexplained absence.

Cillian Murphy's Edward Dillinger, Jr.

Cillian Murphy's enigmatic cameo as Edward Dillinger Jr. hinted at future significance. As heir to original antagonist Ed Dillinger (David Warner), his character opposed Sam's open-source philosophy while potentially serving as a human conduit for the Master Control Program's return.

The Ares trailer's red-highlighted programs suggest MCP involvement, yet Murphy's absence raises questions. While Evan Peters appears as Julian Dillinger, maintaining the family legacy, Murphy's original setup remains tantalizingly unexplored.

Bruce Boxleitner's Tron

The titular program's absence proves most perplexing. After Legacy revealed CLU's enforcer Rinzler as a reprogrammed Tron, with his final scene hinting at redemption, Boxleitner's exclusion from Ares leaves franchise loyalists questioning creative choices.

The unanswered fate of Tron/Rinzler - digital sentience's original guardian - represents perhaps the most glaring narrative oversight in this soft reboot approach.

Why Is Jeff Bridges in Tron: Ares?

The Oscar-winning actor's return sparks the biggest mystery, given Kevin Flynn's climactic sacrifice and CLU's apparent destruction in Legacy. Bridges' ambiguous role in Ares - whether as Flynn, CLU, or some digital amalgamation - promises intriguing conceptual territory.

While revisiting Bridges' iconic characters offers creative possibilities, prioritizing them over surviving Legacy protagonists creates noticeable narrative dissonance.

The franchise simultaneously expands (with new gaming installment Tron: Catalyst) while puzzling loyalists with its cinematic choices. As the Grid prepares for its latest evolution, audiences await answers about these character omissions.