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)

Carla Day

Contributing Writer, BuddyTV

Contributing Editor and Writer for Collider, BuddyTV, TV Fanatic, CliqueClack, and other publications. TV criticism, reviews, interviews with actors and producers, and other related content. Founder of TV Diehard.