Heroes Star Gives Bleak Outlook for Another Series Revival and Possible DCU Batman Casting

Before the MCU took the world by storm in 2008 with an eccentric billionaire building a suit of armor, NBC debuted Heroes in 2006, dealing with ordinary people who found themselves with extraordinary powers. As a key component of the original series, Milo Ventimiglia has spoken out about whether he believes the show will get a chance to return for a third time. For fans of the superhero drama, the news isn’t good.

In an interview with ComicBook to promote his upcoming action-thriller, Land of Bad, Ventimiglia was asked if he thinks fans have seen the last of his Heroes character, Peter Petrelli. The 46-year-old actor played the role from 2006-2010, and while he wanted to remain positive, in the end his answer wasn’t what fans were hoping to hear:

“I feel like I’ve been trained to say ‘never say never.’ But I think when they tried to bring back
Heroes
and reboot
Heroes
, it was a bit of a soft landing. I don’t think that one’s gonna be revisited again.”

While Season 1 of Heroes was met with overwhelming praise from critics and audiences alike, the series did seem to fall from the good graces of the viewing public as it continued its four-season initial run, which ended in 2010. Nostalgia being what it is, the series was brought back in 2015 for a 13-episode event that didn’t sit well with fans who believed the show focused too much on effects rather than story. For Ventimiglia, who almost quit acting after his role in the series, another factor in Heroes Reborn not doing as well as it could have is because the show lacked the character depth seen in the original:

“I think it’s just one of those things [that] I think they tried, and it didn’t quite go. I feel like [
Heroes Reborn
] let the story and circumstances be greater than the characters. And what I understand is that the audience really, really liked the characters from that first season of
Heroes
, and it was less about these extraordinary circumstances and the world ending.”

Hoping to bolster interest in the revival series, two limited comic book series were released, as well as a video game for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC. The series started off relatively strong with more than 6 million viewers tuning in to the first two episodes, but by the time the finale came around, just over 3 million viewers had made the conclusion a priority. Since then, the franchise has been all but dormant, and it doesn’t look as if it will be waking from slumber anytime soon.

Will Milo Ventimiglia Ever Play Batman?

Turning from one superhero franchise to another, the This Is Us alum also discussed his chances of ever donning the cowl of the Caped Crusader in James Gunn’s DCU for The Brave and the Bold. Before the role of Batman went to Robert Pattinson, Ventimiglia auditioned for the part, but was told by Warner Bros. that he was too old. He was 42 at the time, while Pattinson was 33. Now it seems as if the luster of auditioning for another chance to play Bruce Wayne has worn off, and Ventimiglia won’t be tossing his hat in the ring this time around:

“No because at this point, I’m probably too young. That’s how it goes, man. When they say they want young Batman, they want some young. When they say they want old Batman, they want someone older. As an actor, there’s always those roles where you see yourself. There’s those characters you want to think, ‘Man, I could do that,’ and you don’t get them. You see another actor take it and do good work with it or do shitty. You kind of forget it.”

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Best Milo Ventimiglia Performances, Ranked

Ventimiglia’s career is full of notable appearances in TV and films that have shown he’s more than just a handsome guy.

While fans of Milo Ventimiglia won’t get a chance to see him in the DCU, they can catch him next in Land of Bad, where he portrays Captain Sugar. The military action-thriller focuses on a Delta Force team ambushed in enemy territory, and the rookie officer who refuses to abandon them. It hits theaters in Februry 16, 2024.