Heroes Reborn was not exactly the triumphant return everyone had hoped for. The show’s ratings never lived up to the hype surrounding its revival on NBC, and the resurrection never achieved much critical acclaim during its short lifespan. Last week we got the news that Heroes Reborn had been cancelled by NBC, but new reports suggest that the Heroes franchise may have some life left in it after all.
Speaking with TV Insider, Heroes creator Tim Kring stated that he firmly believes there’s more Heroes on the horizon:
...I’ve also stated that if there was going to be more story, it would not be part of Heroes Reborn, but rather some future volume with a brand new story. Let me just say clearly for the record — the ‘Heroes’ universe is designed to be large and multi-platformed.
We have to admit: we're intrigued by Kring's assertion that Heroes is in many ways a “multi-platform” universe. Essentially, this means that the show can produce new seasons centering on new characters and new storylines, ala True Detective. This sort of anthology approach could mean that audiences may still get more Heroes in the future, just no more of the current Heroes Reborn story arc. Many of the actors on Heroes Reborn only signed on for one season, and the ostensible series finale aired only yesterday – if we are truly going to see more Heroes, an anthology seems to be the likely approach. Where the universe actually goes from here remains to be seen.
This seems to indicate that last week’s news, which seemingly pointed to an end of the Heroes franchise following the cancellation of Reborn, might not have been totally accurate. Heroes Reborn simply didn’t make a very strong impression with fans and critics, so it begs the question as to whether or not more Heroes is really what people want at this stage of the game.
The story of the Heroes series is a rocky one to begin with. Its first season – which debuted all the way back in 2006 – was incredibly well received by critics and audiences alike. Subsequent seasons decreased in quality, leading to the show’s eventual cancellation. Heroes Reborn was very much marketed as a return to the spirit and style of the first season, but never really made good on that promise. Kring seems confident that we will see more Heroes in the future, so hope remains alive that a future installment in this anthology universe could correct the course of the franchise and lead to something great.
In the end, Kring can say that Heroes Reborn is done, but we probably won't know for a while if any new Heroes sagas will be coming to our screens at some point. We will keep you posted on any and all Heroes related news as it becomes available to us; stay tuned!
