Where yesterday brought some exciting 'Hannibal' season 2 news in the form of a new trailer and casting snippets, today comes the season's biggest casting news to date. 'Boardwalk Empire' alum Michael Pitt has officially joined the second season of NBC's darkly dreary cannibal drama in a major recurring role, none other than iconic literary villain Mason Verger!

Entertainment Weekly scored the casting scoop on Pitt's role, joining 'Being Human' star Katharine Isabelle as Mason Verger's sister Margot. Where Margot will first appear as a patient of Hannibal's previously abused by her serial killer brother, EW describes 'Hannibal''s Mason Verger as "an unstable wealthy patient of Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen) who begins a dangerous cat-and-mouse game with the deadly serial killer."

Pitt is of course best known for his two-season role as Jimmy Darmody of HBO's 'Boardwwalk Empire,' though a number of troubling rumors about Pitt's on-set behavior have emerged since the actor's series departure.

Both roles will appear toward the end of the second season, while fans of the 'Hannibal' mythology will remember that Gary Oldman played an older, deformed version of the character in Ridley Scott's 2001 film. Whether or not Bryan Fuller's NBC 'Hannibal' will keep to canon remains unknown, as Verger's storyline in later years revolved around Clarice Starling, not Will Graham (Hugh Dancy). Scott's 'Hannibal' film also excluded the character Margot, who by then had become her brother's lesbian bodybuilding bodyguard.

Elsewhere, series creator Bryan Fuller has confirmed Raul Esparza’s return to ‘Hannibal’ season 2 as Dr. Frederick Chilton, while ‘X-Files‘ vet Gillian Anderson will reprise her role as Hannibal’s therapist Dr. Bedelia Du Maurier, as will Eddie Izzard as Dr. Abel Gideon, along with confirmed season 2 roles for ‘Sex and the City’ vet Cynthia Nixon and ‘Homeland‘ player Martin Donovan. 'Justified' Emmy-winner Jeremy Davies will portray an animal rescue worker accused of murder, with 'Arrested Development''s Chris Diamantopoulos as his social-worker.

Quite an impressive casting coup, but what say you? Do you think Michael Pitt can bring Mason Verger to life? Check out the full 'Hannibal' season 2 trailer below, and give us your predictions before the February 28 premiere!

More From ScreenCrush