Summary

• Heroes: Eclipsed brings back original creator Tim Kring for a new story set several years later.
• Despite the oversaturation of superhero content, Heroes: Eclipsed could offer a fresh take on the genre by returning to its groundbreaking roots.
• To succeed, Heroes: Eclipsed must address past issues, rediscover its magic, and innovate to keep up with modern superhero storytelling.

Heroes was canceled unceremoniously in 2010. Rather than turning the franchise's fortunes around, 2015's short-lived Heroes Reborn appeared to confirm that the world had moved on.

Unless it didn't. According to a new report, a fresh attempt at bringing back Heroes is underway, with original creator Tim Kring on board once again. Titled Heroes: Eclipsed, the new story will take place within the same continuity as previous releases, but several years down the line. The report also states that Heroes: Eclipsed will, just like Reborn, blend new characters with familiar faces. "Does the world need Heroes in 2024?" is the first question that comes to mind, and while the timing may look nonsensical at a glance, bringing Heroes back now may just be a stroke of genius.

Heroes Is Returning To A Superhero Genre More Saturated Than Ever Before

Between Movies & TV, The Superhero Genre Has Little Room To Spare

The "superhero fatigue" conversation has picked up momentum since Avengers: Endgame in 2019 without any real consensus being reached. What can be said with a degree of certainty is that the conversation's very existence highlights an overabundance of superhero content on the market. Between the Marvel Cinematic Universe and DC's various attempts to emulate it, the superhero genre is unquestionably more saturated than it ever has been, as both of the industry's comic book powerhouses pump out conveyor belts of material for both the big and small screens.

For Heroes: Eclipsed, the problem is not just the amount of superhero content available, but the breadth too. Beyond Marvel and DC, The Boys and its spinoffs offer a more realistic, satirical outlet for caped vigilantes, Invincible takes the R-rated animation route, One Punch-Man is an outright parody, and The Umbrella Academy is superheroes for 30-somethings whose bangs used to obstruct their vision.

Exactly where Heroes fits into that equation is the million-dollar question Tim Kring needs to answer. Not only is it unclear whether Heroes: Eclipsed can scratch an itch that isn't already being satisfied by at least three other franchises, it's difficult to have any real confidence that a TV show that was outstanding for only a single season can survive in such a crowded genre. So many great superhero tv shows and movies are flooding feeds and subscriptions in the 2020s, but only the truly excellent ones are thriving. And Heroes hasn't been that since 2007.

Heroes tapered off drastically between seasons 2 and 4, then failed to reverse its fortunes with Heroes Reborn - and that was back when the superhero genre was both markedly less competitive and nowhere near as diversified. At a glance, there is nothing to suggest that Heroes: Eclipsed will fare any better, but plenty of reasons to think history will repeat itself. Taking more than a glance, however, a shimmer of optimism emerges.

Heroes Was A Secret Predecessor To The Modern Superhero Genre

Heroes' Influence Can Be Felt In The MCU & Elsewhere

Thanks to a legacy sullied by latter-season mediocrity, it is all too easy to overlook how massively groundbreaking, and massively influential, Heroes season 1 remains for the present-day superhero landscape. Premiering in 2006, Heroes arrived off the back of Fox's X-Men trilogy and Fantastic Four, Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 1 and 2, and the damp squib that was Superman Returns. While Christopher Nolan had started attempting something different with Batman Begins, the go-to tone for mid-2000s superhero movies was still relatively cartoonish in nature.

The idea of pulling superheroes down to a more realistic, street level and combining extraordinary powers with ordinary human drama - and doing so on TV, no less - was a revolutionary one. Heroes dared to do exactly that, and for a while, excelled. Whether it was a direct inspiration upon the likes of Kevin Feige or simply a case of influence by osmosis, notes of Heroes can undeniably be felt within the MCU. Compared to Fox and Sony, the MCU takes a more grounded, character-based approach, and that derives directly from what Heroes was doing. The same applies to shows such as The Boys, which is as much about character drama as it is superheroes.

Heroes' status as a secret precursor to many of the superhero franchises jostling for prominence in 2024 is at least one reason to be hopeful about the new reboot. Heroes: Eclipsed could be romantically viewed as a return of the old guard - a throwback to a forgotten forebear in desperate need of redemption. This alone would not be enough to justify giving Heroes another chance, but there is a second reason for hope too.

Heroes: Eclipsed Could Be The Perfect Solution To 2020s Superhero Woes

As Marvel & DC Falter, Can Heroes Provide The Antidote?

The superhero genre may be rammed cape-to-cowl in the 2020s, but it is important to examine how the perception around those franchises is morphing for the worse. The MCU was largely untouchable during the 2010s, with each release guaranteed box office prosperity and glowing reviews. That is no longer the case, with patchier output and a distinct lack of overall direction resulting in the kind of critical indifference Secret Invasion experienced, and the box office misadventures of The Marvels.

Heroes: Eclipsed has the potential to be the revival of a former giant, returning modern superhero TV to its fundamentals and showing the current generation where it's going wrong

DC is faring no better. Between the "Snyder cut" debacle, a string of subpar 2020s movies, and Henry Cavill's non-return as Superman, DC's first attempt at a shared universe devolved into a shambles. James Gunn's Superman will attempt to rectify that, but whether it will succeed remains to be seen.

Looking at Heroes: Eclipsed from one angle, therefore, the comeback couldn't be happening at a better time. The superhero genre, stacked as it is, no longer satisfies its audience - not as reliably as in the 2010s, at least. As a progenitor of the MCU and other current franchises and a veritable godfather of superhero TV, Heroes could be the antidote to everything that is currently disappointing, underwhelming, or cynical about the genre in 2024. Heroes: Eclipsed has the potential to be the revival of a former giant, returning modern superhero TV to its fundamentals and showing the current generation where it's going wrong.

Heroes: Eclipsed Still Needs To Improve On Heroes & Heroes Reborn

Ultimately, Heroes Needs To Do Better With Its New Reboot

That can only happen if Heroes takes a look in the mirror and fixes the issues that have plagued it since season 1. Repeating the same formula and hoping for the best simply won't cut it with today's crowd, which means Heroes must rediscover the magic of its debut, whilst also adding new elements that keep the franchise fresh and innovative for a new generation. If Tim Kring can achieve that, the next Heroes reboot could be the perfect counterpoint to Marvel and DC's modern superhero content.

That's easier said than done, of course, but it should be acknowledged that Heroes seasons 3 and 4 both improved upon season 2, even if they failed to match the show's blistering first run. Heroes Reborn had its stronger moments too, which optimistically signals that the franchise has not yet run out of stream. Make no mistake, rebooting Heroes yet again is a mammoth risk, but not a risk that's greater than the potential reward if the third time truly proves to be the charm.