The Hannibal season 4 will ever happen after its untimely cancelation. The NBC horror series starred Mads Mikkelsen in the role of the infamous cannibalistic serial killer Dr. Hannibal Lecter and was based loosely around the events of the 1988 novel Red Dragon.
Surprisingly enough, the title villain is not necessarily the primary antagonist of the Hannibal franchise in the strictest sense of the word. Dr. Lecter’s horrific acts aside, the most repulsive Hannibal villain exists in the character of Mason Verger, the sexually deviant and murderous heir to a meatpacking fortune. Verger first appeared in Harris’ novel Hannibal and has since been played by three separate actors – Gary Oldman, Michael Pitt, and Joe Anderson – each of whom brought a distinct quality to this memorably menacing role.
3 The Iconic Gary Oldman Gave The Original Performance in Hannibal (2001)
Oldman Created The Voice And Set The Tone
Ridley Scott’s film adaptation of the 1999 Thomas Harris novel Hannibal starred the famed Gary Oldman in the role of Mason Verger. Surprisingly, this well-known actor’s presence in the film went virtually unnoticed – and not for want of a memorable performance. Rather, a dispute over billing led to Oldman’s request that he be completely uncredited rather than settle for less-than-prominent billing while simultaneously being expected to promote his role in the film. Given that Verger is never clearly seen before his disfigurement, Oldman’s performance in Hannibal (2001) is entirely unrecognizable, rendering his choice to go uncredited all the more clever.
The initial casting choice for the Hannibal (2001) portrayal of Mason Verger was Christopher Reeves, but he turned down the role when he learned about Mason's history.
Given that Verger is never clearly seen before his disfigurement, Oldman’s performance in Hannibal (2001) is entirely unrecognizable, rendering his choice to go uncredited all the more clever. However, it is worth mentioning that Oldman is known to be a chameleon of an actor, and so the unrecognizable nature of his portrayal of Mason Verger cannot be solely attributed to the film's excellent SFX makeup and prosthetics.
Gary Oldman Appearances |
IMDb |
Rotten Tomatoes "Tomatometer" |
Screen Rant Score |
|---|---|---|---|
Hannibal (2001) |
6.1/10 |
39% |
8.5/10 |
Oldman laid the groundwork for every Mason Verger portrayal in future Hannibal adaptations. According to an interview with Fangoria in 2001, Oldman’s inspiration for Mason’s distinct, transatlantic accent came from Katharine Hepburn, although the star has also mentioned Verger’s voice was inspired by author Thomas Harris’ voice, which he described in a 2022 BFI interview as having “a hunger.” (via Fangoria and YouTube)
2 Michael Pitt Faithfully Rebooted Oldman’s Portrayal With One Important Change
Pitt Took On The Challenge Of Portraying Mason Verger Pre-Disfigurement With No Source Material
Bryan Fuller’s Hannibal – the NBC TV series adaptation of Harris’ 1981 novel Red Dragon – cast The Dreamers star Michael Pitt in the role of a young Mason Verger. In both the source material and the 2001 Ridley Scott film, the character of Mason Verger was shown only briefly before his disfigurement. This presented Pitt with the unique challenge of interpreting what Mason’s mannerisms and facial expressions may have looked like before the character became the bedbound and faceless villain we know and love to hate.
Michael Pitt Appearances |
Episode Rating |
|---|---|
Season 2 episode 10, “Naka-Choko” |
8.9/10 |
Season 2 episode 11, “Ko no Mono” |
8.9/10 |
Season 2 episode 12, “Tome-wan” |
9.2/10 |
Michael Pitt took Oldman’s old-timey Verger voice and ran with it, faithfully reproducing the older actor’s delivery and speech patterns in his own portrayal. Pitt brought a new and even more deranged flare to the Verger character, however, giving the Hannibal villain a vibe reminiscent of Mark Hamill’s Joker, especially in his maniacal laughter. But Pitt’s portrayal was not all laughs – his attack on Margot in “Ko no Mono” is one of the most horrifying and emotional Hannibal scenes.
1 Joe Anderson Stepped In For Michael Pitt
Anderson Continued As Mason Verger Post-Disfigurement
After an abrupt recasting of Michael Pitt following the end of Hannibal season 2, Across the Universe star Joe Anderson took up the mantle. Anderson assumed the role of Mason Verger following the Hannibal villain’s horrific disfigurement in season 2 episode 12, “Tome-wan.” Much like Gary Oldman’s uncredited portrayal of Verger in 2001's Hannibal, the replacement of Pitt with Anderson was relatively covert due to the heavy special effects makeup and prosthetics required by the role.
Joe Anderson Appearances |
Episode Rating |
|---|---|
Season 3 episode 4, “Aperitivo” |
7.9/10 |
Season 3 episode 5, “Contorno” |
9.0/10 |
Season 3 episode 6, “Dulce” |
8.7/10 |
Season 3 episode 7, “Digestivo” |
9.3/10 |
Anderson’s portrayal of Verger remained even more faithful to Gary Oldman’s original interpretation than Pitt’s, perhaps simply due to the character arc. While Michael Pitt’s deranged portrayal seemed to be the preferred version of Verger amongst the NBC Hannibal fanbase, the more serious demeanor that Joe Anderson brought to the role added a darker note that was more closely aligned with the tone of the series. Ultimately, each Mason Verger actor lent a unique component to this villainous role.
Hannibal Season 4 Gets The Most Promidate Yet From Star After 9 Years Of Waiting
Mads Mikkelsen offers the promising Hannibal season 4 update yet after 9 years of waiting as he confirms knowing Bryan Fuller's ideas for the future.
The character of Mason Verger has seen multiple deaths throughout the franchise: in the 1999 Harris novel, Mason is murdered by his sister, Hannibal season 4 ever to happen, it would be interesting to see Michael Pitt reprise the role.
Sources: Fangoria.com, YouTube.com
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Created for TV by Bryan Fuller, Hannibal is a TV adaptation/reimagining of Thomas Harris' Red Dragon novel. The show follows the exploits of FBI criminal profiler Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) and psychiatrist Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen) and their perpetual game of cat and mouse that unfolds over the series. When a string of murders in Minnesota requires a brilliant mind to crack the case, Will Graham is called in to investigate - but due to the intimate and terrifying nature of the crimes, he is appointed Dr. Lecter to act as his psychiatrist. The truth of Dr. Lecter is that he is Will's target - but to complicate matters, he's the only person that can truly understand him.
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Hannibal
- Release Date
- February 9, 2001
- Runtime
- 132 Minutes
- Director
- Ridley Scott
WHERE TO WATCH
StreamingRENTBUYHannibal is a thriller that sees Anthony Hopkins reprising his role as Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a brilliant psychiatrist and cannibalistic serial killer. Directed by Ridley Scott and based on Thomas Harris's novel, the film follows the intriguing dynamics between Lecter and FBI agent Clarice Starling, played by Julianne Moore, as she seeks to capture him while he remains at large.
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