In with the new Zach, out with the old. Conversations about NBC’s upcoming limited series Heroes: Reborn have revolved around what characters may or may not return to join the new ones, and Zachary Quinto’s power-grubbing Sylar was one of the characters that fans want to return. But there’s one Heroes fan that has the power to make that not happen. And it’s Zachary Quinto himself.
Unfortunately, Quinto has made it official that he won’t be a part of Heroes: Reborn when it comes around, regardless of whether or not some characters say, “Hey, whatever happened to that wacky Sylar guy that skulled people so often?” Quinto revealed the news to Buzzfeed’s Kate Aurthur, who shared the news via Twitter.
No, I’m not going to go back. I talked to them about it, and Tim reached out to me when they decided they were going to do it. We had a great conversation. It was such a meaningful experience for me – I loved that job, I loved those people…I just felt like I didn’t want to go back to it. Tim [Kring} was very, very understanding…I just felt like I need to cultivate other outlets for myself.”
It’s quite disappointing, as Sylar was generally one of the more enjoyable characters in Heroes, even though his arc got less exciting as it went along. But if we’re going to give this a silver lining, at least it gives the quasi-reboot a chance to develop a villain as equally memorable. One that might carry the show from limited series to something more permanent. As well, it lets Quinto "cultivate other outlets," which I can only hope means attract memorable roles in other quality projects.
We do know that Chuck star Zachary Levi will be at the head of Heroes: Reborn, with Jack Coleman’s Horn-Rimmed Glasses returning for more world-saving. (Though no official word on Hayden Panettiere as his daughter and former cheerleader Claire.) As far as the plot goes, we know it’s about new characters coming upon new powers, though it takes place within the same universe as the initial series. I’m not sure I would enjoy things as much if Sylar showed up as a good guy, as the series finale made it seem like he would continue to be.
A television stalwart pre-Heroes, Quinto soon became a major part of the American Horror Story universe, which fans also want to see the actor return to, given Ryan Murphy’s repeat use of actors. He’s spun out a feature career with the Star Trek films, along with some indies, but he’ll soon return to TV for NBC’s miniseries The Slap, part of the network’s No Comedy Thursdays.
Heroes: Reborn is set to go through more casting soon, with production scheduled for later this year.
