the status of three main characters remains undetermined following this episode. Niki Sanders is last seen inside a burning building which subsequently explodes, and Nathan Petrelli is shot while attempting to speak out against the Company. Tim Kring is not certain as to their future, saying that their fates are "up in the air" and will be determined after the strike. In a post on his YouTube homepage, Adrian Pasdar said "Who could possibly have shot me?? The REAL answer to that question is very, very interesting. I promise."
As for the fate of David Anders' character Adam Monroe, Kring was more direct, saying "We've given the audience no reason to believe that Adam can figure a way to get out of there. The fact that he can live forever makes this the most gruesome of internments. If this happened to any of us, at least we'd know we'd soon have the mercy of death. Not here."
Two of the series' villains have also seen changes. Elle's decision to take on Sylar gives her a chance to use her abilities to help rather than hurt people. Kring says "she's been given an opportunity to use her powers in a good way. And she absolutely likes the sound of that word 'hero.'" On the other hand, Sylar's use of the stolen sample of Claire Bennet's blood has led to the restoration of his abilities. According to Kring, "Sylar getting his power back does not bode well for our heroes."
According to Kring, Sylar wasn't originally supposed to get his abilities back due to Zachary Quinto's commitment to the new Star Trek film. Due to the WGA strike, Quinto could be done with his role in the film by the time Heroes returns to production.