Hannibal And Will Almost Kissed In The Show’s Series Finale

Hannibal Lecter and Will Graham almost kissed during the series finale of Hannibal. Bryan Fuller’s acclaimed take on the iconic cannibal lasted for three seasons on NBC and pushed the boundaries of what network television could do. Hannibal was known for its high body count and beautiful but violent depictions of heinous crimes, but it was the relationship at the show’s center that most captured fans’ attention. Will spent much of the first season unknowingly chasing Hannibal as he attempted to cover his crimes.

This led to Hannibal framing Will as the elusive serial killer, but that was only the beginning of their cat-and-mouse dynamic. This relationship, filled with implicit sexual tension, prompted many fans to ship the pair as a couple. Although a relationship was never in the cards for Will and Hannibal, one moment during the series finale saw the two in each other’s arms. Many thought they would kiss, but the two fell off of a cliff before they could seal the deal.

Hannibal actor Mads Mikkelsen revealed that fans’ wildest dreams almost came true in that scene. Mikkelsen explained how in an interview with Vulture, saying that both he and Hugh Dancy (Will Graham) were game for the move, but Fuller thought it would be too obvious and preferred to play up the ambiguity. Mikkelsen says that the relationship between Hannibal and Will ultimately transcended physicality and that a kiss would’ve been too on the nose for the series’ potential ending.

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. Me and Hugh were like, “Why not? We have a couple of takes. Let’s do one. It might be cool.”

No, we didn’t [kiss]. Never went for the kiss. Bryan loved it, but he was like, “Too much, guys. It’s too obvious.” And he was absolutely right. But I think we were just stuck on that. And a lot of the Fannibals wanted it as well. 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.

Hannibal and Will may not have become romantically intertwined during the series’ initial run, but fans are hoping for a second chance. Talks of reviving Hannibal happen quite frequently, with some of the cast, including Mikkelsen, indicating that they are always up for returning to Fuller’s world. The show’s popularity on Netflix revived talks of a season four, but nothing has come of that yet. Still, Hannibal‘s open-ended finale and its post-credits scene certainly allude to the fact that Will and Hannibal’s fall off the cliff wasn’t the end of the line for the pair.

Hannibal still has a group of diehard fans, so it’s safe to say that the possibility of a revival remains alive. If the series were to be picked up by Netflix or another streamer, it would allow Fuller and the cast to lean more into the show’s violent sensibilities without the worry of network influence. Whether or not Hannibal is revived, though, will remain an open question for the foreseeable future. Mikkelsen is quite busy with roles in Indiana Jones 5 and Fantastic Beasts 3. His love for the role, though, like his character, is undying.

Source: Vulture

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Graeme Guttmann
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Graeme Guttmann is an editor, writer, and interviewer for Screen Rant. With a love for all things pop culture, he watches just about everything from the biggest blockbusters to reality shows like Real Housewives. He currently resides in Boston, MA where he is an MFA candidate at Emerson College for creative writing. You can follow him on Twitter @cryptograeme for pop culture commentary and random musings about pop music and just about anything else.

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