Casting Couch: Kristen Bell Powers Up for "Heroes"!

Could the teen private investigator be trading in her telephoto lens and snappy retorts for superpowers?

Just days after rumors that former Veronica Mars series lead Kristen Bell would join the cast of Lost (sadly, a deal was never reached), NBC dropped a major bombshell of a casting notice: Bell is a lock for a multiple episode storyline on the sophomore season of Heroes, beginning in October.

Say what?

Bell will play Elle, an enigmatic woman with connections to the alleged death of Peter, Horn Rimmed Glasses' past, and Claire's future. Elle will commit a serious crime during her initial appearance, though whether she's good or bad is still unclear.

On scoring the much-in demand Bell (who will lend her voice as the eponymous narrator in the CW's new drama Gossip Girl and will appear in Judd Apatow's Forgetting Sarah Marshall), Heroes creator Tim Kring said in a statement, "This was not easy to pull off. But since we're an ensemble show, with many arcs playing out through the year, we found a way to jump into a small window in her schedule. I pitched her the idea we have for the character, which she loved, and we're off and running."

That sound you're hearing? Millions of fanboys squealing in glee.