He's Back on 'Heroes'... But Not Hayden?

At least one familiar face is returning to NBC for the network's upcoming Heroes reboot. Though the mini-series Heroes Reborn will air in 2015, five years after the original series about a band of super people closed its doors, and star a new cast of superheroes, the network announced Jack Coleman, AKA Claire's dad Noah Bennet, has joined Heroes Reborn . So does that mean Hayden Panettiere, the actress who memorably played Claire, Noah's indestructible daughter, will be back as well? Nope. Panettiere still won't join Heroes Reborn — sorry OG fans.

But Noah is back! Fans will remember Coleman's character (nicknamed "HRG" for his horn rimmed glasses) as the morally ambiguous "Company man" who balanced his work with protecting his daughter, Claire, at any cost. So it is a bit odd to see Coleman returning without Panettiere — the duo seemed a packaged unit during Heroes' first run. Given Claire's absence, it's easy to assume the new show — which NBC Entertainment President Jennifer Salke described as being "shrouded in secrecy" — may focus more on Bennet's past with "The Company," the organization that supervises new superhuman activity. Considering that Heroes Reborn is introducing a new crop of heroes, it makes sense that a Company associate would be featured in the reboot — as the Company learns more about these new heroes, so will the audience.

Though we haven't seen Bennet since Heroes ended in 2010, actor Coleman seems to be everywhere in the television world since wrapping up his role on NBC's show. Since 2010, Coleman has boasted recurring roles on The Vampire Diaries, The Office, and Burn Notice. Scandal fans may recognize him as the (now deceased) Daniel Douglas Langston, the Vice President's closeted husband, and Castle viewers know him as Senator William Bracken, a recurring role he's held for two years on the show.

No word yet on whether Coleman will be joined by some of his former Heroes co-stars, but the door is certainly open for more of the former cast to return. You still can change your mind, Hayden!

Heroes Reborn is slated to hit NBC in 2015.

Image: NBC