Mads Mikkelsen Says ‘Hannibal’ Revival Has to Happen in the Next Year

As with prior seasons, Hannibal ended Season 3 conclusively enough to satisfy its fans, while still leaving plenty of room to return. The race to re-seat Hugh Dancy and Mads Mikkelsen at Bryan Fuller’s table has long since cooled, but Mikkelsen thinks it might not happen if Hannibal isn’t revived in the next year.

Speaking with IGN of the upcoming Blu-ray release, Mikkelsen of course expressed his desire to return for future Hannibal, even as series creator Fuller dives headlong into Starz’s American Gods, and Dancy begins his next venture in Hulu’s The Way. Fuller had previously spoken of the potential for Hannibal to take a breather, and return down the line in whatever form with renewed energy, though Mikkelsen had something of a different take:

I guess it’s one of those things that it might be… it might happen. But I also think that it has to happen fairly soon, because in three or four years, it might not be there anymore, the energy; The urge to do it from all kind of people and from the fans. So if it happens, it’s got to happen in the next year, I guess. That’s all up to what people are doing and what Bryan is doing. Is there anyone who wants to pick it up and so on… So there have been a lot of rumors and so far, nothing has happened.

As we’ve seen dozens of times in the last few years alone, no amount of time will necessarily sate an audience’s appetite for revivals, but does Mikkelsen have a point about timing Hannibal’s return? Will the kitchen close if our beloved cannibal doesn’t get back to cooking within the next year?