For awhile, it was unclear if Kristen Bell would even reprise her role as Elle Bishop on season three of Heroes.

Now, the actress has mde it clear that she'll return for the next chapter, replete with an impressive character makeover.

"I actually like where [the writers have] taken the whole storyline this year for everybody, including Elle," Bell told Sci-Fi Wire.

Because season two may seem like a lifetime ago to some readers, a brief refresher:

Elle is a mysterious young woman who possesses electrical powers. She's the daughter of Robert Bishop, the current head of the Company. Because she was left in seclusion for years, Elle is quite mentally unstable - but she may be on a path to enlightenment.

"They're showing more of her human side," Bell said. "She's this vaguely barbaric, unfeeling, antisocial adaptive killer who's coy. However, she's had some tough decisions to make [over the years, and the writers are] giving her more depth. There are flashback scenes showing that she's intricately woven into people's lives before you met her. She met a lot of [the characters] before she was introduced on the show."

Catch Elle - and the rest of the Heroes - when season three premieres... one week from today!

Matt Richenthal is the Editor in Chief of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter and on Google+.