Heroes: Where are They Now? Could They Return For Season 5?
Heroes season 5 is coming, almost certainly with a new cast. But what about the original Heroes cast? Who might return for Heroes Reborn?
With Heroes season 5on the way, fans of the defunct program are clamoring for story details on the new season. It is widely believed that the upcoming fifth season will be a reboot, using the name and premise and nothing more from the original run, but casting and character details are currently unavailable. A reboot seems like the best option, as much of the main original cast are busy with other projects, but wouldn’t it be fun to see some of the old favorites from the original series get involved? We take a look at what all of the main cast (who appeared in all four seasons) are up to these days, as well as debate whether they should (from a story standpoint) or will (from a logistical standpoint) return.
Greg Grunberg (Matt Parkman)
After spending time as mind reading cop Matt Parkman on Heroes, Greg Grunberg went on to guest star in some other notable shows like Hawaii Five-O, Psych, and The Client List, as well as doing voice work in video games such as L.A. Noire and Halo: Reach. Grunberg was last seen in the fun throwback creature feature Big Ass Spider.
Should he return? At the end of the show’s run, Matt Parkman was just trying to live a normal life with his family and remove himself from all of the chaos. Let him have what he wants.
Will he return? With several projects in post-production and nothing slated at the moment, Grunberg’s schedule frees him up for a return, and the actor really hasn’t had much success since the series ended. It’s likely that Grunberg would be willing to return.
Ali Larter (Niki Sanders/Tracy Strauss)
Larter had the good fortune of getting two shots. Since the show has wrapped, Ali has fought for Beyoncé’s man in Obsessed and brought video game vixen Claire Redfield to life in two Resident Evil movies. Next up, Larter will return to TV this summer for TNT miniseries, Legends, in which she’ll play an FBI Agent who is a part of the Deep Cover Operations.
Should she return? After Niki Sanders was written out of the show, they gave Larter a new character in Tracy Strauss, who could mimic water and freeze objects. Tracy was a government employee, so it could be fun to see her popping up supporting some new politician character in a new season, but it’s not wholly necessary.
Will she return? If Legends becomes a hit, it’s highly unlikely, but who knows?
James Kyson Lee (Ando Masahashi)
After breaking out as a sidekick on the show, Korean born actor Lee has earned some other television work on shows Hawaii Five-O and a guest stint on the most recent season of FX’s Justified. Lee is currently in the midst of filming horror flick Misiriou.
Should he return? Lee was nothing more but a befuddled, non-powered sidekick. His return would solely hinge on Hiro’s.
Will he return? Justified seems like a pretty good gig, but if Oka returns, I’m sure Ando will be along for the ride.
Masi Oka (Hiro Nakamura)
Masi Oka used the series as his main vehicle to stardom, and after the show he earned a plum spot in the Steve Carrell-led Get Smart and also popped up in Friends With Benefits, and the Steve Jobs biopic, Jobs. Currently, Oka is apart of the main cast of Hawaii Five-O as Dr. Max Bergman, the Honolulu Police Department’s Chief Medical Examiner.
Should he return? Hiro was a key element of Heroes, and his time travel abilities and ability to see and create alternate timelines could help bridge a connection to a new, rebooted series. But after the Kensei and Charlie storylines, is there really that much left to do with Hiro?
Will he return? As long as he’s on Hawaii Five-O, I’d say the prospect isn’t good.
[related article: 5 Ways Heroes Reborn Can Make the Show Better]
Jack Coleman (Noah Bennet)
After becoming a fan favorite, dubbed HRG (for his signature horn-rimmed glasses), Jack Coleman stuck at NBC playing Angela’s promiscuous husband the Senator, on The Office. Coleman has gone on to get a significant amount of television work since on shows like The Vampire Diaries, Castle, Burn Notice, and most recently, ABC’s Scandal. He’ll be back this season playing baddie Senator Bracken on Castle.
Should he return? Personally, Noah Bennet was my favorite character, so I’d love to see him back. If the show is going to continue with shady characters locating and rounding up special people, I think Bennet could slide back into the proceedings seamlessly and establish a strong connection to the show’s pervious iteration.
Will he return? With him having a few running characters on competing network’s shows, I wouldn’t count on it.
Hayden Panettiere (Claire Bennet)
“Save the cheerleader, save the world!” became the go-tocatchphrase for the series, and the cheerleader, Hayden Panettiere, went on to achieve the most post-Heroes success (although she’s been successful in Hollywood since the age of 5). Since the show ended, she’s starred in flicks like I Love You, Beth Cooper, the documentary The Cove, and slasher flick Scream 4. Currently, she’s the lead on ABC’s Nashville, displaying her singing talents as country artist Juliette Barnes. She’ll next be seen in the feature, Over the Wall.
Should she return? Claire was a focal point of the original show’s run, and if we were picking up where we left up, she’d absolutely be needed. But seeing as how Heroes will most likely be rebooted, there probably will be no need for Claire. Besides, I’m sure we’ll have someone else pick up the annoying “I just want to be normal!” mantle.
Will she return? Nashville is running strong, so my guess is no.
Milo Ventimiglia (Peter Petrelli)
As lead and go-to good guy Peter, Milo Ventimiglia really made a name for himself. He earned a role as Rocky Balboa’s son in Rocky Balboa, starred in Armored, popped up in Grown Ups 2 and is set to star in Heat, a remake of the 1986 Burt Reynolds film. On TV, Milo appeared on TNT’s Mob City and starred in Chosen, an original series by streaming service Crackle, that has been renewed for a third season. He’s slated next to appear in the alien invasion drama The Visitors.
Should he return? Peter’s boring aspects as a character could be blamed for getting the show canned in the first place. Let someone else play protagonist.
Will he return? If The Visitors is a hit, he’ll be unable. Regardless, I wouldn’t expect him anyway, unless it’s just a small cameo.
Adrian Pasdar (Nathan Petrelli)
As morally grey politician Nathan, Adrian Pasdar reintroduced himself to TV audiences after a productive period in the ‘90s. Since Heroes, Pasdar has done some menial TV work, appearing on Castle and ABC Family’s The Lying Game. Pasdar seems more interested in being a hero, voicing a slew of characters for animated Marvel properties, most significantly voicing Tony Stark/Iron Man in six different productions. He’ll next be seen as Colonel Talbot on Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD.
Should he return? Seeing how the real Nathan was killed in season three and only had his consciousness alive as apart of Sylar, no.
Will he return? Being the voice of Iron Man must be a ton of fun, but maybe Pasdar is itching to get heroic again in person on screen (his Agents of SHIELD character is a bit of a heel). Still, without involvement from Sylar or the other Petrellis, I wouldn’t see the point.
Cristine Rose (Angela Petrelli)
As the secretive Petrelli matriarch and precognitive dreamer Angela Petrelli, Cristine Rose always seemed to know more than what she let on. Since Heroes’ cancellation, she’s mained relatively quiet, only popping up in some guest spots on The Mentalist, Private Practice, A&E’s Longmire, and a recurring spot on How I Met Your Mother as Virginia Mosby. She also appeared in the independent picture Take Me Home. She’ll next appear in the comedy Muffin Top: A Love Story.
Should she return? Angela is a part of themythology because of her involvement with Primatech. If the series decides to play with its twisted backstory, she’d be valuable.
Will she return? She seems to have the free time, so it’s possible she could come back in some sort of guest/recurring capacity.
Zachary Quinto (Sylar)
Arguably the biggest breakout star from the series, Zachary Quinto got to chew up scenery as main baddie Sylar. After Heroes earned him recognition, he landed the coveted role of Spock in the rebooted Star Trek film series, and he also appeared on two seasons of the successful anthology series American Horror Story. He’s slated next to appear in Agent 47, another attempt at a film adaptation of the video game series Hitman.
Should he return? Probably not, as Quinto has bigger fish to fry and Sylar grew stale, going from good to bad to good countless times, as the series reached its end. Surely the show will try and create a new, even bigger, villain. Then again, as the most iconic character, he might owe us a brief appearance.
Will he return? I wouldn’t bet on it, but maybe in a cameo capacity.
Sendhil Ramamurthy (Mohinder Suresh)
As scientist Mohinder, Sendhil Ramamurthy continued his father’s work of uncovering the genetic evolution that led to people developing super powers. After his time on the show ended, he starred in Hindi film Shor in the City, and appeared in American films The Slammin’ Salmon and the Kristen Bell-vehicle The Lifeguard. On TV, he popped up on Psych, CSI: Miami, The Office, and he can currently be seen on the CW’s Beauty & the Beast.
Should he return? Mohinder was always one of the weaker characters on the show, but due to his connection to discovering people’s abilities, his utilization in a rebooted form of the show could make sense.
Will he return? As part of the cast of Beauty & the Beast, his time for other projects is limited, but this is still his most recognized work to date, so maybe he’d make time if Kring and Co. came calling.
Written by
Nick Harley is an entertainment journalist and alumnus of Ohio University's E.W. Scripps School of Journalism. Nick also works as a Senior Content Specialist for the…