New 'Heroes' Character Could Spell Veronica Mars Reunion

Veronica Mars fans a very special reunion. Francis Capra, aka the toughie 'Ron (and Mars viewers) loved to hate, is joining the NBC hit this fall in the recurring role of Jesse.

Who or what is Jesse? Not much (including his power) is being revealed, of course, but thus far I've found out two things: One, TV's former Weevil is playing evil, and two, his villainous storyline will find him crossing paths with Peter Petrelli.

Capra's arrival of course promises to reunite him with Veronica herself, Kristen Bell, who is rumored (though not yet confirmed, drat!) to be reprising her own Heroes role this season.

Heroes Season 3 Trailer

Heroes cast in Hong Kong

One-thirds of the Heroes cast are currently in Asia swinging around different countries to promote Heroes as part of the Heroes World Tour. Ali Larter, Masi Oka, Greg Grunberg, and Sendhill Ramamurthy were most recently in Japan and then Hong Kong.

A video of the press conference with Masi, Ali, Sendhill, and Greg shot by the guys over at South China Morning Post.

`Heroes' actors hint at what lies ahead

They saved the cheerleader, they saved the world — for now. But the superpeople of NBC's "Heroes" return with a new round of intrigue next month.

Like, whatever happened to Hiro? In May's first-season finale, the adventuresome time-traveler — who can bend the space and time continuum — found himself surrounded by samurai warriors in 17th century Japan as an eclipse darkened the sky. How ominous.

With the Sept. 24 premiere approaching, cast member James Kyson Lee, who plays Hiro's sidekick Ando Masahashi, offers these tidbits: The next chapter in the "Heroes" saga picks up four months after the near-destruction of the world. Hiro (Masi Oka) remains in ancient Japan; Non-superpowered is living in the present day. Still, the two will be in touch.

"There is going to be a really interesting channel of communication between us," Lee tells The Associated Press.

"How that's going to happen, you'll have to find out on the 24th. But it will be a fascinating way of storytelling. And what happens in one timeline will affect the other," he says.

The plot also thickens for other "Heroes":

• Noah Gray-Cabey, who plays the precocious son of good/evil single mom Niki (Ali Larter), hints at bigger things for his character.

"I'll say that Micah is definitely stepping out of his comfort zone," he tells the AP. "And he's going to be meeting some new people, possibly even family."

• A new character named Maya (Dania Ramirez) struggles with a developing power. Sound familiar?

"I have a brother, Alejandro, and we're coming to the U.S. to try to find out what's going on with me," Ramirez says. "I don't fully understand what's happening to me. However, my ability has me on the run." (via AP)

'Veronica Mars' star Kristen Bell joins 'Heroes'

NBC is adding former “Veronica Mars” star Kristen Bell to the cast of “Heroes.”

Peacock has snagged Bell for a key multiepisode arc of its sophomore sensation. Casting is a major coup for NBC since Bell -- who plays the title character in Judd Apatow’s upcoming “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” -- was reportedly being sought for several TV gigs, including a part on ABC’s “Lost.”

Bell will make her first “Heroes” appearance in October. She’ll play Elle, a character described as a sexy, mysterious young lady who has ties to the supposed death of Peter, H.R.G.’s past and the future of Claire. Elle will kick off her arc by committing a serious crime, though it’s unclear whether she’s good or bad.

“This was not easy to pull off,” said “Heroes” creator-exec producer Tim Kring. “But since we’re an ensemble show, with many arcs playing out through the year, we found a way to jump into a small window in (Bell’s) schedule.”

Universal Media Studios prexy Katherine Pope also hinted that landing Bell wasn't easy, noting that "many studios (were) chasing her in both film and TV" and that she was happy that Bell "chose to star in our show."

In addition to her gig in the Apatow pic, Bell co-stars in the Weinstein Co.’s upcoming “Fanboys” and supplies one of the voices in the 2008 animated Fox feature “Sheepish.” She also has another regular role on a network skein, voicing the narrator in CW’s new drama “Gossip Girl.”

Jessica Collins joins in Heroes

The Nine crew was okay, but apparently Jessica Collins was holding out for some Heroes.

The actress, whose ABC heist-themed serial was derailed by low ratings, has signed on for a recurring role on NBC's superheroic, Emmy-nominated hit.

The Peacock confirmed Friday that Collins will play Sophie, a mysterious woman with powers of her own who works for an organization that's keeping tabs on the heroes.

Aside from The Nine, whose final episodes are being burned off this month, Collins' credits include guest stints on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Ghost Whisperer. She also costarred with LL Cool J in the CBS drama pilot The Man, which wasn't picked up for the fall season.

Meanwhile, the second season of Heroes is taking shape.

While producers remain tight-lipped about what's in store, they and several key cast members have dropped some tantalizing hints.

Heroes mastermind Tim Kring told reporters in a conference call Thursday that, after introducing all the key players last season, the new episodes will focus on conflicts between the various characters.

"We can expect to spend a little more time this year on a few story lines per episode that will allow us to highlight certain characters each week," he said. "By extension, some characters will be left out of episodes each week."

The show's creator and executive producer also noted that several new villains are in the works, one of whom may be the "Boogeyman" haunting the dreams of little Molly Walker last season.

Kring also confirmed that Star Trek staple George Takei will be back as Hiro's father and revealed that producers are looking "for another face that will have a very similar impact" to Takei for genre fans.

Collins is now the second confirmed new cast addition. A character named Maya Herrera, played by Dania Ramirez, will emerge as a new hero from South America, although Kring is mum on her secret power.

Then there's the prequel/spinoff, Heroes: Origins, which will air during the original's winter hiatus.

During Origins' six-episode run, fans will have the chance to vote online for their favorite new hero, who will then be added to the cast of the main series. At last week's Comic-Con, Kring announced that comic book-lovin' Clerks director Kevin Smith will write and direct an episode of Origins.

Meanwhile, Kring scuttled talk of a big-screen Heroes anytime soon, stating "the show is doing everything a movie would do."

"I'm not sure what story we would tell."

He and fan fave Masi Oka—whose turn as Japanese everyman Hiro earned Best Supporting Actor Emmy nod—did express excitement over an upcoming series of hardcover graphic novels from DC Comics.

Meanwhile, sources say that the loft belonging to Isaac Mendez, the artist who could paint the future, remains intact and may play a part in future stories, even though his character was killed off by serial superhero slayer Sylar.

Kring said that second-season stories will take place in such exotic locales as Egypt, Central America, Mexico, Haiti and Ukraine. We'll also find out how Hiro copes with his trip back in time to feudal Japan.

For fans who want a crash course in the series, the season one DVD arrives in stores Aug. 28. The set features the original two-hour pilot, more than 50 deleted or extended scenes and full commentary.

"It's those viewers we're really hoping to attract and gain a new fan base for the opening the second season, which is about three weeks later. It could work out nicely for us," said Kring.

Heroes' second season kicks off Sept. 24 at 9 p.m.

Video: Heroes--Global Phenomenon

In this Behind-The-Scenes clip, the cast talks about being part of the extraordinary phenomenon of Heroes. See this and more on the Heroes Season 1 DVD available on 8/28

Finales Scoop: 24 Death! Heroes Bomb!

24

Monday, May 21, 9 pm/ET, FOX

It's been a fairly lackluster season for the action series. A dearth of Jack Bauer plagued many hours of the day, but the show promises to pack a punch in the finale with the surprising death of a CTU employee. And Jack's badass dad (inally returns for a showdown with his son. This time, it's personal.

Heroes

Monday, May 21, 9 pm/ET, NBC

After much time travel and a glimpse at the dark future, alliances and enemies have been established and the heroes haven't given up their quest to save the world. But can Hiro stop Sylar ? And can Peter stop himself from exploding? The first season, which has been a whirlwind of secrets and revelations, comes to a close with a thrilling ride that puts all the heroes' lives in danger — and some do not survive.