The details are still fuzzy, but all signs point to Black Panther and Creed director Ryan Coogler working on a reboot of The X-Files. If such a show does come to fruition, Gillian Anderson is game to return as Dana Scully. Now, this doesn’t necessarily mean that Anderson is ready to suit up for a full season again or anything like that, but some level of involvement is on the table.
Anderson recently stopped by Today (you can see the full interview clip above), and The X-Files came up, given creator Chris Carter’s comments last year about the proposed reboot. Anderson called Coogler “a bit of a genius” and qualified that there is a “chance” the revamped version of the show will happen. Speaking further, she explained that Coogler getting involved is not only the only way she could envision the show coming back, but also the best way the show could come back.
“It’s so funny because for most of my life since I finished The X-Files, every interview I do, people have asked, and the answer has always been: ‘Nope, not going to happen.’ Now, Ryan Coogler, who is the director of Black Panther — brilliant, brilliant director — has approached Chris Carter to say that he wants to do a take on it, and I cannot think of a better way around for a reboot to happen.”
Anderson spent a great deal of her professional career playing Dana Scully. The show originally ran on Fox from 1993 to 2002 before being revived in 2016 for two additional seasons. In between all of that were two feature films – The X-Files: Fight the Future and The X-Files: I Want to Believe. So it wouldn’t be difficult to blame her for wanting to move on. However, she wouldn’t rule out the possibility of returning as Scully in this potential reboot, even if it’s just a glorified cameo.
“Whether I am involved in it is a whole other thing. But in his hands — I’m not saying no — because I think he is really cool…I think if he did it, it would probably be done incredibly well, and maybe I’ll pop in for a little something something.”
For what it’s worth, Coogler is quite busy at the moment. He’s about to direct a mysterious vampire movie starring Michael B. Jordan for Warner Bros., which is due to hit theaters next year. He also signed a five-year TV deal with Disney back in 2021 and, as part of that, he is working on a TV show set in Wakanda for Disney+. But Disney also controls the rights to The X-Files now, which makes the show all the more likely to happen…assuming Coogler can find the time.
The X-Files reboot has no timetable for release, but stay tuned.
