Zachary Levi To Star In Heroes Reborn On NBC

Heroes was super hero TV before super hero TV was cool. It was a ratings sensation, particularly by NBC’s standards at the time, during its first two seasons from 2006-08, and then it sort of ran out of steam after that. But NBC is revisiting that universe with its 13-episode Heroes Reborn series later this year, and now its got a familiar name to help sell it to fans.

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TVLine is reporting that Zachary Levi, who played the title role in NBC’s Chuck, has signed on to star in Heroes Reborn. The character he’ll play has yet to be revealed, though it will be a new one with a “key” part to play.

Levi told TVLine that the network, subject matter and creator Tim Kring were all factors that attracted him to the project:

"There are a few franchises I’ve always wanted to be a part of, and Heroes is one of them. Chuck gave me the opportunity to wield some fun powers, but an entire world with superpowers is a world I’ve always wanted to explore. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to work with Tim [Kring], and the awesome team around him, in bringing this to life,” he adds. Moreover, to be working with NBC again is such a reward in itself, as my bonds and relationships there are deep."

Quite a few details about Heroes Reborn remain a mystery. We aren’t sure when it will air except that it’s supposed to hit in 2015, or which characters might return since it’s supposed to be a follow-up and not a reboot.

The show will also face a drastically different TV landscape when it comes to series about people with extraordinary abilities. One of the reasons Heroes worked in 2006 was that there wasn’t much else on in its particular genre at the time (Smallville being a notable exception). This time around, it will have to contend with ABC’s Agents of SHIELD, The CW’s Arrow and The Flash, Marvel’s Netflix lineup, and, if it waits too long, potentially more super hero shows this fall, all of which feature at least some characters the public already knows.

Having Levi aboard can help cut through the clutter, but he’ll need some help. Watch for more Heroes Reborn casting announcements to see what NBC might have up its sleeve.

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