The Heroes: Reborn miniseries event is a big deal to fans of NBC's mid-2000s superhero TV series - especially those who felt the show still had potential when it finally went out with a whimper in 2010.

Details of the new miniseries haven't been all that abundant; we know some higher-profile cast members like Ali Larter and Zach Quinto will likely not be returning, while characters like Horn-Rimmed Glasses (Jack Coleman) will be coming back. According to NBC president Robert Greenblatt, “Jack’s the way in, but I think – and I’m not trying to be coy because we just don’t know – you will see several of the old cast popping in to episodes.” We do know there will be an online prequel series coming that should explain more, but today we have a juicy bit of casting news: Chuck star Zachary Levi is joining the Heroes universe in Heroes:Reborn. TV Line reports that Levi's role is being 'kept under wraps' but that it is a "key" character in the series.

As the former Chuck star told the website:

“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. Moreover, to be working with NBC again is such a reward in itself, as my bonds and relationships there are deep.”

Chuck series finale
Levi in 'Chuck'

Ironically, Levi broke out on Chuck back when Heroes was in its heyday. The two series complimented one another in many key ways - not least of which was the fact that they were both big flagships in NBC's campaign for geek-friendly programming at the time.

Both shows lost steam as geek interests moved into more direct and branded properties (major comic publishers/studios launching multi-platform shared universes), but if you attend San Diego Comic-Con (where Levi's Nerd Machine Company has a huge presence), you'll still see plenty of cosplay suggesting that both Chuck and Heroes still live on in fans' hearts.

Heroes Reborn Digital Series

So, what to make of Chuck himself coming to Heroes? Besides the obvious geekgasm for mid-2000s TV fans, it'll be interesting to see what the series makes of Levi. In most of his major projects (Tangled, Chuck, Thor 2) he's been presented as a friendly (or suave) nice guy type; we've never seen him get very dark or villainous, and aside from some butt-kicking as a trained agent or otherworldly swordsman, we haven't seen him really do superpowers either.

Could Heroes: Reborn trade a Zach Quinto villain (Skylar) for a Zach Levi villain? Now that would be some Easter egg casting fans could understandably geek out about.

The Heroes: Reborn 13-episode miniseries (and its online prequel) will debut sometime in 2015. We'll keep you posted.

Source: TV Line