Hiro on 'Heroes': Masi Oka speaks

The nearly 10-month gap between new episodes of Heroes is just about over, with the show's third season set to begin Monday. The show kicks off with a two-hour premiere that was rapturously received among fans at Comic-Con in July, and based on what I've seen (only the first half, alas), there's reason to be optimistic about the show's prospects again.

Masi Oka thinks so too. He's biased, given that he's one of the stars of the series, but the man who plays Hiro Nakamura also says that the Heroes will return to the fast-paced storytelling that helped make season one a hit.

"We have some amazing things in store," Oka said at the TV press tour in July, when Heroes already had six episodes in the can. "Things are moving really fast, and we're going back to what made season one great -- fast storylines, cliffhangers, great action, great drama and some great comedy."

The always engaging Oka had more to say too, including a few clues about "Villains," the story arc that will make up the first half of Heroes' season. Here it is:

What was it like going back to work?
It was great. I was worried we were going to lose a lot of our family members, our crewmates. They had opportunities I'm sure elsewhere. But fortunately for us we were able to maintain that family and crew we had. That's something I was very happy about.

Last time we saw Hiro he cold-bloodedly dispatched Adam Monroe. Does that attitude carry over to the new season?
Hopefully actions have consequences, you know? Adam Monroe isn't dead, so anything can happen to him, and possibly Hiro might have a taste of the dark side now. You know, Anakin Skywalker became Darth Vader; this season might be Hiro in a helmet.

But we've already seen him in a samurai helmet.
Well, there you go. I guess we lost that then. [Laughs]

Does the Future Hiro from season one still exist, or did he go away with the resolution of that story?
You will see Future Hiro [this season], but it's not the Future Hiro from season one. You'll see Future Hiro version 2.0.

Will you play opposite yourself?
That remains to be seen.

I remember you saying in season one that you had a problem with Future Hiro stepping on your lines.
I know! [laughs] I had a talk with Future Hiro 2.0 this time. I think he knows how to play ball -- I'm really happy. You've got to keep his ego in check.

Did the time away feel that long to you?
It definitely felt like a long time away. I missed seeing all my family members -- my brothers and sisters, castmates and crewmates.

How long was it?
We finished in December, but we started shooting in May. So we've been going on -- we finished shooting episode six [by mid-July]. ... We have 25 episodes, so we've got to get moving.

How do you figure into "Villains"?
I think we all figure in. It's about human beings -- we as human beings all have to make choices. It's those choices that lead us to become heroes or villains.

Could you turn?
Everyone can turn. Heroes can become villains, villains can become heroes. I think that's going to be an interesting journey for people -- what makes a person a hero, what makes a person a villain. It's the choices they make. And what happens if they make sacrifices for the greater good. So it's about these tough decisions people have to make that will turn them into heroes or villains. And certain people die.

Do you pick up pretty much where the last volume ended?
We skip ahead a little bit. We find Hiro has already become the CEO of his company. He succeeded his father's position as president of Yamagato. So that's where we find him. And all the other characters, you're going to find them about -- I think it's a month's time lapse. There's definitely some time lapse. But in the first five minutes you find out who shot J.R.

Check this space for more on Heroes in advance of Monday's season premiere, and catch up on more of your favorite returning shows with Zap2it's Fall TV Preview.