Yatta! Heroes is back and even better Hiro Nakamura is too! Heroes Reborn would be missing a big part of the original’s heart without the lovable Hiro.  BuddyTV caught up with Masi Oka at San Diego Comic-Con to get the scoop on his limited return to the series. The Hiro we’ll see won’t be the same one we last saw five years ago.

[Video] 5 Things We Know About Heroes Reborn>>>

Check out our video interview and highlights.

Highlights from the interview:

  • Oka feels strange, ecstatic, and a mix of emotion about coming back to Heroes, but it felt natural.
  • Five years have passed. Hiro has matured. He won’t be as hardened as Future Hiro, but he’ll be more matured. Future Hiro was in an alternate universe.
  • Oka isn’t sure if we’ll find out what happened to Ando or not. So far, it’s not been in the script.
  • It wasn’t easy for Oka to make the appearance on Heroes. When the first promo came out, all the former castmates started inquiring about it. 
  • Due to contractual restrictions, Oka wasn’t able to do the project full-time. People got involved, including the Japanese government. CBS and NBC were able to work something out to allow Oka to appear in 3 episodes.
  • Hiro’s powers will be nerfed somehow. It’s his thing, like Nathan’s thing was to be killed every season.
  • The terrorist attack in Odessa will change Hiro’s course. He’s been about the moral and hero code and feels there’s a responsibility.
  • “Yes.” – Oka has worked with some of the original cast members.  He can’t say who that is.
  • “There is a deep relationship between Hiro and one of the characters. A series regular and it’s not the obvious one.”

Heroes Reborn premieres Thursday, September 28 at 8pm ET on NBC.

(Image courtesy of NBC/ Video: Carla Day)