Heroes Reborn (miniseries)
A 13-episode event series continuing the Heroes saga.
Heroes Reborn is a 13-episode American television miniseries that aired as a follow-up to the NBC series *Heroes*, debuting on September 24, 2015. Tim Kring, the original show’s creator, served as executive producer. The story centers on people with extraordinary abilities who are on the run from vigilantes, yet must ultimately band together to prevent a global catastrophe.
A six-part web series called *Dark Matters* was released on July 9, 2015, to set up the characters and plot. The miniseries takes place a year after a terrorist attack in Odessa, Texas, for which the government blames “evolved humans” (or “evos”). These evos are forced into hiding as vigilantes hunt them down. Among the hunters are Luke and Joanne Collins, seeking revenge for their son killed in the Odessa bombing. Noah Bennet, a character from the original series, is in hiding until conspiracy theorist Quentin Frady finds him and tries to reveal the truth about the tragedy.
New characters also emerge. In Illinois, Tommy hides his powers by changing his name and attempting a normal life with his girlfriend Emily. In Tokyo, Miko searches for her missing father, a quest that may be deadly. Carlos, a former soldier, becomes a hero in Los Angeles after his evo brother tried to protect others. Malina, a teenager with little control over her abilities, is destined for something major. Meanwhile, Erica Kravid, head of the tech company Renautas, acquires Primatech for sinister purposes. As the number of evos grows, past heroes like Hiro Nakamura, Matt Parkman, Mohinder Suresh, the Haitian René, Angela Petrelli, Micah Sanders, and Molly Walker cross paths with the new ones. Together, they must stop a geomagnetic reversal that would expose Earth to lethal solar radiation.
Tim Kring explained that *Heroes Reborn* is not a direct continuation but takes place well after the original series—what he called “the 10th season” rather than a fifth. In Canada, the series aired simultaneously with the U.S. broadcast. In Australia, it started on September 30, 2015, with the first two episodes drawing 444,000 and 372,000 viewers. The UK broadcast began on February 16, 2016.
Critical reception was mixed. On Metacritic, the series scored 53 out of 100, indicating average reviews.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Drama / Science fiction / Superhero
- Creator
- Tim Kring
- Starring
- Jack Coleman / Zachary Levi / Robbie A. Kay / Kiki Sukezane / Ryan Guzman / Rya Kihlstedt / Gatlin Green · it / Henry Zebrowski / Judith Shekoni / Danika Yarosh
- Composer
- Wendy Melvoin / Lisa Coleman
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
- Num Seasons
- 1
- Num Episodes
- 13
- Executive Producer
- Tim Kring / Dennis Hammer / Allan Arkush / Greg Beeman / Matt Shakman / Peter Elkoff / James Middleton
- Producer
- Lori Moyter / Kevin Lafferty
- Editor
- Lori Motyer / Mike Ketelsen / Michael S. Murphy / Donn Aron / Scott Boyd / Kristopher Lease / Louis Cioffi / Martin Nicholson / Tom Costantino
- Location
- Los Angeles, California / Kitchener, Ontario / Toronto, Ontario
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Heroes Reborn takes place one year after a terrorist attack in Odessa, Texas. The government blames those with extraordinary abilities ('evolved humans', or 'evos'), who are forced into hiding when vigilantes systematically hunt and kill them. Two such killers, Luke and Joanne Collins, are seeking revenge for the son they lost at the Odessa bombing. Noah Bennet is also in hiding, but is found by conspiracy theorist Quentin Frady, who tries to show him the truth behind the Odessa tragedy. New characters discover their own unique abilities: Tommy tries to live a normal life with his dream girlfriend Emily; Miko searches for her missing father in Tokyo; Carlos, a former soldier, emerges in Los Angeles; and Malina is an innocent teenager with a great destiny. Erica Kravid, head of the tech conglomerate Renautas, has acquired Primatech with dark goals. Some heroes of the past, including Hiro Nakamura, Matt Parkman, Mohinder Suresh, the Haitian René, Angela Petrelli, Micah Sanders, and Molly Walker, cross paths with the new evos. Together, they must save the world from a geomagnetic reversal that will leave the planet vulnerable to lethal solar radiation. Tim Kring stated that rather than a direct continuation, Heroes Reborn takes place considerably after the original series, calling it 'the 10th season'.
Reader's Guide
Heroes Reborn was conceived as a 13-episode event series, not a fifth season of the original Heroes. Tim Kring emphasized that it was always intended to have a closed-ended quality, though he felt the audience may not have understood that initial plan. The series received mixed reviews: a Metacritic score of 53 out of 100 and a 42% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with the consensus criticizing its focus on special effects and melodrama over narrative. On January 13, 2016, it was announced that Heroes Reborn would not be renewed for a second season. A six-chapter web series titled Dark Matters was released on July 9, 2015, to introduce characters and storylines. In Canada, the series was simulcast with the American broadcast; in Australia, it began airing on September 30, 2015, with the first two episodes receiving 444,000 and 372,000 viewers respectively; in the UK, it started broadcasting on February 16, 2016. The series was released on DVD and Blu-ray on April 12, 2016. Titan Comics published two limited series tie-ins: Heroes: Vengeance and Heroes: Godsend. A video game tie-in, Gemini: Heroes Reborn, was released in January 2016 for PlayStation 4, PC, and Xbox One to mixed reviews.
Did You Know?
- A 16-second teaser promo aired during the 2015 Super Bowl.
- The series was not renewed for a second season, announced on January 13, 2016.
- Tim Kring described the series as taking place considerably after the original, calling it 'the 10th season'.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Heroes Reborn?
Heroes Reborn is a 13-episode NBC miniseries that premiered on September 24, 2015, serving as a direct narrative continuation of the original Heroes show with Tim Kring back as executive producer. It follows a new generation of superhuman individuals who are hunted by vigilante groups while attempting to stop a worldwide disaster.
What powers and conflicts drive the Heroes Reborn story?
The miniseries centers on 'evos,' a new crop of powered people whose abilities—ranging from healing to flight to matter manipulation—are generally less flashy than the original cast's. The core conflict pits these evos against a faction of vigilantes who want them contained, forcing the evos to unite against a looming global catastrophe.
How does Heroes Reborn end?
The final episodes resolve the one-year arc set after the Odessa, Texas terrorist attack that the government blamed on evos, with the powered individuals ultimately succeeding in averting the predicted global disaster. The conclusion leaves the world in a fragile, tense balance between the evos and those determined to suppress them.
Why was Heroes Reborn cancelled after only one season?
NBC officially announced the cancellation on January 13, 2016, shortly after the miniseries wrapped its 13 episodes. The show received mixed critical reviews, reflected in a Metacritic score of 53, and the network chose not to commit to any further seasons or ongoing continuation.
What is Dark Matters and how does it relate to Heroes Reborn?
Dark Matters is a six-part web series released on July 9, 2015, that functions as a narrative bridge between the original Heroes finale and the Reborn miniseries. It introduces the new cast of characters and lays out the political fallout from the Odessa attack that sets the stage for the main storyline.
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