The Secret Tron Sequel That You Likely Didn't Know Existed

While getting all caught up on everything "Tron" before you see "Tron: Ares," there is one piece of "Tron" media you might not know about. The mainline  movie series thus far consists of just two feature-length movies — 1982's "Tron" and 2010's "Tron: Legacy." Given that it took over 20 years for the sequel to arrive, there was obviously a fair amount of other "Tron" content released in the meantime, including novels, comic books, video games, theme park attractions, and a short-lived animated series. 

But what if we told you that there was actually a film that takes place between "Tron" and "Tron: Legacy," that you not only probably never saw, but probably weren't even aware of until this very moment? That film is "Tron: The Next Day," a crucial piece of the "Tron" universe that was little seen and has been almost entirely forgotten.

At first, the 2003 video game "Tron 2.0" was the official canonical sequel to the original "Tron" film. But with the release of "Tron: Legacy," Disney — as it did when it changed "Star Wars" forever by decanonizing almost everything that wasn't the main film series — retroactively rendered the events of "Tron 2.0" as no longer part of the official lore. Instead, the "Tron: Legacy" Blu-ray release contained a new bit of "Tron" content that took place after the original movie but before "Tron: Legacy."

"Tron: The Next Day" is a 10-minute film that has thus far only ever officially been released as an extra on the Blu-ray edition of "Tron: Legacy." It is not yet on Disney+, nor on any official Disney YouTube or social media channels. It's definitely not difficult to find and watch, but don't look for it from Disney itself. Hopefully that changes as the "Tron: Ares" marketing machine hits the home stretch. 

Either way, "Tron" fans should watch it, as it gives more backstory on the Flynn Lives Organization, including the roles of Roy Kleinberg (Dan Shor) and Alan Bradley (Bruce Boxleitner). Garrett Hedlund also reprises his role as Sam Flynn, and Jeff Bridges — in voice only — once again plays Kevin Flynn. It obviously doesn't fully fill in everything that happened in the many years that passed between the events of the first two "Tron" movies, but it touches on a few key elements and is worth seeking out.