An "epic struggle between two very well-loved characters" is set to take place on Heroes later this season, leading to the death of one of them, producer Adam Armus has confirmed.

Speaking to Sci-Fi Wire, Armus wouldn't be drawn too much on reports that a leading male cast member would be departing from the NBC series during the current volume. "We always pull surprises on Heroes," the producer said. "That's all I have to say."

Describing the battle as "really compelling," Armus did add that saying good bye to one of those people would be "really painful for us. It's really a hard thing to do. We have a deep love for the actors and for the characters, and, you know, these are families. These are real tragedies to get over if you do kill some of these people."