Gary Oldman made a memorable impression on viewers as Mason Verger in 2001's Hannibal and fans recently saw Michael Pitt leave his own imprint on the creepy character in Season 2 of NBC's Hannibal TV series. Now a third actor will play the unstable Verger, as it's been revealed that Pitt will not be back for Season 3, prompting showrunner Bryan Fuller to recast the role.

TVLine reports that Michael Pitt decided to drop out of his role as Verger, with no specific reason yet revealed, though scheduling for the in-demand actor is likely a factor. To fill Pitt's shoes, Fuller has cast Joe Anderson in the vacated role for Season 3. When Verger was last seen in Season 2, he had undergone a major physical transformation similar to the 2001 film, which will cause Anderson to act under a hearty helping of makeup. Anderson has built a very respectable résumé in his 10+ year acting career, with strong supporting roles in Across the Universe, The Ruins, The Crazies, and The Grey, to name a few. Still, it will be difficult for many viewers to see Pitt depart from a role that he skillfully made his own.

Season 3 of Hannibal premieres in 2015 and will include Gillian Anderson as a series regular in the role of Bedelia du Maurier, Hugh Dancy as Will Graham, and, of course, Mads Mikkelsen as Dr. Hannibal Lecter. Stay tuned to Daily Dead for more updates on NBC's Hannibal. To get an idea of what Anderson will look like as Verger, check out the photo he posted to his Instagram account below (via TVLine).

Michael Pitt in Hannibal:

Joe Anderson:

Joe Anderson in Mason Verger makeup:

Source: TVLine
  • Derek Anderson
    About the Author - Derek Anderson

    Raised on a steady diet of R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps books and Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Derek has been fascinated with fear since he first saw ForeverWare being used on an episode of Eerie, Indiana.

    When he’s not writing about horror as the Senior News Reporter for Daily Dead, Derek can be found daydreaming about the Santa Carla Boardwalk from The Lost Boys or reading Stephen King and Brian Keene novels.