Michael Pitt Leaves Hannibal, Character Recast

Actor Michael Pitt is no longer returning for the third season of NBC's Hannibal, and will be replaced by Joe Anderson.

Anderson will resume Pitt's role as the character Mason Verger, the psychotic owner of a meatpacking business. The decision to not return was apparently Pitt's as TVLine reports. Anderson's past credentials include Divide and Dead River.

Fortunately for the Silence of the Lambs series, the switch comes at a convenient time in the show's plot. When Season Two of Hannibal ended, Hannibal Lecter had carved out and eaten chunks of Mason Verger's face. Left horribly disfigured, the character could easily be portrayed by another actor--and appropriate amounts of makeup. In fact, Anderson posted the image of himself as the post-snacktime Verger shortly after NBC made the announcement, showing viewers how his Verger will appear in the upcoming season.

The Mason Verger character will receive another addition in Hannibal's third season: A sidekick. A reoccurring character named Cordell will join the show next season as Verger's personal doctor, and if official descriptions on him hold true, he'll be just as creepy and sadistic as everyone else on the series. All qualities of a good henchman, right?

Hannibal returns for its third season in 2015.