I am starting to actually let myself get a TWINGE excited for the third season of Heroes this fall. If only to see if Tim Kring can actually turn it around and make it exciting once more.

We have some spoilers for you below, including the brand new promo for season 3, and some interesting tidbits about Brea Grant’s character Daphne in regards to Hiro.

First, here is the promo:

Season 3 is called “Villains” and will pick up right where season 2 ended due to the writer’s strike. We’ll find out what happens to a few of the characters during that time, like Nathan Petrelli who was was shot.

But as far as Grant goes, she was formerly named Joy when we told you guys about her, but that changed to Daphne now.

She’s going to be The Joker to Hiro…in other words, his arch nemesis. This interview was found at Heroes Volume 3 thanks to io9.

“I’m stealing a secret that’s been kept in Hiro’s family for a long time that he’s just now found,� Brea Grant told The Associated Press during a break in filming on location in a high-rise building in downtown Los Angeles. “He stops time right as I grab it, but in that second it took him to grab it, I almost make it out of the office.�

Grant isn’t totally sure about Daphne’s powers, but apparently she had three speeds and leaves a sonic wake behind her. We’ll see it when Hiro stops time during one of her blistering runs.

“Her character is supposed to be Hiro’s Joker,� said Masi Oka, who plays Hiro. “Batman has The Joker. Hiro has Daphne. This is the season where Hiro finally finds his arch nemesis, and it happens to be this Speedster. I kind of equate it more to Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner, except Daphne says more than ‘meep-meep.’�

Sounds good to me. I’m starting to have high hopes for next season.