Hannibal Creator Still Wants An A-List Star To Take Over Jodie Foster’s Iconic Role

Bryan Fuller is sharpening plans for a Hannibal return — and he wants Zendaya as Clarice Starling, stepping into the role Jodie Foster made iconic.

Bryan Fuller still has Hannibal on the brain, and he is zeroed in on one very specific idea: bring Clarice Starling into the story and cast Zendaya to play her. It is a bold swing, and he sounds as enthusiastic about it now as he did the last time he floated it.

Fuller’s dream Clarice

While talking through where a revival could go, Fuller said he wants to finally weave Clarice into Hannibal’s world and thinks Zendaya would change the temperature of the character in the best way.

"I would love to do a Clarice story. I'm a big fan of Zendaya. I think she would be an amazing Clarice Starling, and bring a completely different temperature and point of view to the character than what we've had before."

He also made it clear this is not just stunt casting in his head. The vision includes pairing Zendaya directly with Mads Mikkelsen’s Hannibal Lecter.

"I would love to get Zendaya and Mads Mikkelsen together in a Hannibal story."

How this could happen

This is not a new daydream for Fuller. He has previously described a limited series riff on The Silence of the Lambs as a bucket-list project, with Mikkelsen back as Lecter and Zendaya stepping in as Clarice. Whether it lands as a Season 4 of Hannibal or a separate limited run, the pitch keeps resurfacing because he clearly wants to make it.

• Fuller is actively mulling a continuation of Hannibal and wants to introduce Clarice Starling.
• Zendaya remains his top choice for the role, specifically for the new perspective she would bring.
• He imagines scenes that directly pair Zendaya with Mads Mikkelsen’s Lecter.
• A limited series inspired by The Silence of the Lambs is still on his wish list.
• The project’s future is unsettled, and Zendaya has not weighed in publicly.

That is the current state of play: a creator with a clear vision, a fan-favorite lead who would return, and a high-profile star who could redefine an iconic character. If this moves, it moves fast. Until then, it is a tantalizing what-if that refuses to fade.