In a span of time between 2012 and 2013, TRON: Uprising hit the screens of those tuned into spin-off channel Disney XD. An interquel set between the events of the 1982 original film and its aesthetically altered 2010 sequel, TRON: Legacy, Uprising is still relatively unknown even to fans of the TRON movies. From its story content to its visuals, this spin-off arguably holds up better than either of the movies it's based on, yet it is by and large forgotten.
The characters in TRON: Uprising are exclusively non-human, unlike the films. The story follows protagonist Beck (Elijah Wood) as he is indoctrinated in secret to be a successor to Tron (reprised by Bruce Boxleitner). Quickly becoming known as 'The Renegade,' Beck finds himself caught in a conflict against General Tesler (Lance Henriksen) over the impending fate of The Grid, the setting everyone resides in. While characters from the films do show up, the primary conflict is framed between Tesler and his top guards against Beck and his comrades. It's worth noting that not only does the show dive head-first into the complex themes of a society being coerced into dictatorial rule, but its characters are entirely presented as adults. They have day jobs, they get drinks at the club, they engage in war tactics and interrogation...By all accounts, the series is tonally in line with the movies but is arguably more nuanced and complex as it has breathing room to explore its ideas in a way that welcomes all ages, much like Star Wars.
Without so much as an official word on the matter, TRON: Uprising was cut short after a 19 episode run on Disney XD. It didn't even premiere on the Disney Channel, but even then, the series never made sense for an exclusively younger demographic, and would've felt more appropriate in the realms of Toonami or even Adult Swim. The show's narrative content is starkly complex when placed alongside the programming one would expect from Disney television, with its most common cousin perhaps being Motorcity. Make no mistake – this is a story about rebellion, fascism, and sacrifice for the greater good. It does not shy away from the very real and troubling themes around how populations are manipulated and controlled, which is perhaps worth considering more today than it was in 2013 when the show ended.
It's easy to imagine why the show failed from a commercial standpoint: despite clear corporate attempts to build off of TRON: Legacy, Beck's story here is told with purpose, not content to just pump out a show to get kids interested in merchandise. In fact, the series might even be a bit boring to younger audiences due to its more methodical pacing and stark imagery and environments. For fans of the films, it answers questions left by the sequel movie and offers connective tissue between the films, such as explaining what happened to Tron himself. But by no means is this only for die-hards, standing strong in its own right as an animated story. Just knowing that TRON as a franchise is centered in a digital world is really all one needs to know to follow along from the get-go.
The storytelling is more serious and does its job, and those Disney bucks paid for some unexpected voice talent – if you think Elijah Wood is intriguing, consider that Aaron Paul also lends his grit to the cast. But at the end of the day, what truly pulls everything together is strong art direction and cinematography that is bolder than most cartoon programming. The narration doesn't alienate kids but certainly seems more geared for a teens-and-up audience, so it's unfortunately no surprise that it failed to meet expectations in a space such as Disney XD. Even years later, the show feels almost stark in an industry doggedly trying to wring the animation out of animated stories. TRON: Uprising's elevating stakes, more mature themes, and semi-cliffhanger ending on top of its sleek presentation make its quiet cancellation all the more upsetting. Maybe with a third TRON film on the horizon, interest could be re-ignited in seeing the culmination of this interquel tale. Either way, the aesthetic of The Renegade's story will remain burned into the memory discs of those who witness it.
TRON: Uprising is available for streaming on Disney+.