Fans of Hannibal were shocked when the TV series was not renewed for a fourth season by NBC. It looks as if the cast and crew were just as shocked, if not more so. In a recent interview, Doctor Lecter himself Mads Mikkelsen talks about the series’ cancellation, as well as his optimism for its possible return.

In an interview with the U.K’s Sunday Express, Mikkelsen talked about how they were finally close to getting to do the book series’ most famous entry. “We were very close to solving the rights issues,” he said, “Silence of the Lambs was coming up around the corner, and it’s such a beautiful story with great characters.”

I for one would have loved to see showrunner Bryan Fuller’s take on this story. While Red Dragon/Manhunter was our introduction to this world, Silence of the Lambs is what captivated fans to the character of Hannibal Lecter

Mikkelsen went on to talk about his frustration with the show’s cancellation, as he thought it was a lock for a fourth season. “We are all angry. It’s madness, and season four was actually the one we thought we’d definitely get. Seasons two and three were on the verge. We didn’t know whether Hannibal would be renewed. But by the time we got to season four we thought it was a definite.” He went on to say it felt to him like the story was unfinished, despite the rather definite final episode. “We were very surprised at the decision. We were happy to be able to do it for as long as we did. However, we felt there were more stories. We thought we ended the show in a great way, but we had more to tell.”

Despite those frustrations, Mikkelsen was also hopeful that if all the right pieces fall into place, the show could return in one format or another. It’s basically up to Fuller. “It all depends on Bryan. He is the key, the base, the heart. We will wait and see what happens next in his career. But we all know that we can easily pick this up in two or three years, there are breaks in the stories. We could pick it up, say, four years later. If Bryan is up for it, we will all go for it.”

While that’s not a full confirmation of the series’ return, it definitely means that should it come back, Doctor Lecter will be ready.

As far as Fuller’s availability he has his hands full as the man in charge of the new Star Trek series that will run on CBS’ online venture All Access, as well as the upcoming American Gods based on Neil Gaiman‘s novel. If that show takes off, would he have the time to return? As a fan of both, I hope this is a balancing act he’d be willing to try.

So what do you think? Would you be up for a Hannibal return? What format or platform would make a perfect fit for the show? Let me know on Twitter or sound off in the comments below.

IMAGE: Sony Pictures Television