First, I’ll be upfront and honest here. I do not know much and there’s little doubt that many of you know more than I on the matter, but for all intents and purposes, there are spoilers in this article. If you can deal with that, then read on. Otherwise, immediately close this window, go scrub yourself clean in the shower and forget you ever clicked on this link.
It was the TRON panel at D23 Expo where I was first introduced to the concept. From 1982 to 2010 is a long time and given the advances in technology both on and off-screen, it would be simple enough to just jump from one lightcycle to the next and noone would suspect a thing. But the panel, which included TRON: Legacy director Joe Kosinksi, producer Sean Bailey and TRON director, writer and creator Steven Lisberger, detailed the process: there are not two lightcycles, but several generations of them, as would be expected to happen over 28 years in the ‘real world.’ Even though we may not be exposed to all of what occurs between 1982 and 2010, the TRON: Legacy team meticulously planned the evolution — from the technology to the programs that use it.