Mads Mikkelsen reveals last scene of Hannibal 'almost' made Fannibal dreams come true

For many fervent Hannibal fans, the dynamic between the two leads on the NBC show — Will Graham (Hugh Darcy) and Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen) — was one laden with homoerotic subtext.

In an interview with Vulture, Mikkelsen revealed that that subtext almost became text in the show’s final episode. “We actually did a couple of takes of the very last scene where we were looking at each other, and it was a little too obvious — it was almost a kiss,” Mikkelsen told Variety. “Me and Hugh were like, ‘Why not? We have a couple of takes. Let’s do one. It might be cool.’”

The kiss, as any Fannibal will tell you, sadly never happened — Mikkelsen said that showrunner Bryan Fuller nixed the idea, saying it would be over the top. “Bryan loved it, but he was like, ‘Too much, guys. It’s too obvious,’” Mikkelsen shared. “And he was absolutely right. But I think we were just stuck on that.”

Mikkelsen and Darcy weren’t the only two stuck on the idea of their characters kissing. “A lot of the Fannibals wanted it as well,” Mikkelsen acknowledged. “It’s been a subject of homoerotic fan art. And for good reason, because they are so united as twins in many ways. But we never wanted it to be a physical thing. It was something much bigger than that.”

It’s hard to argue against Mikkelsen's statement that Lecter and Graham’s relationship was more than just one potential smooch, but having the two officially consummate a romantic relationship on-screen would have been a chef’s kiss (pun intended) for fans. 

Mikkelsen also made Fannibals pine even more for the show, which unexpectedly ended in 2015 after its third season, by hinting he’d still be up for a Season 4. “I would love to go back,” he said. “Everybody wants to go back, and if there’s only one season and we’re sure about that, he can finish it in a proper, surprising, stunning way.”

All three seasons of Hannibal (to date) are currently streaming on Amazon, Hulu, and Netflix.