At this point, it’s basically a conspiracy theory, but it seems like The X-Files could be coming back again. In a new interview, show creator Chris Carter said that none other than Black Panther director Ryan Coogler is interested in bringing back the popular show.
“I just spoke to a young man, Ryan Coogler, who is going to remount The X-Files with a diverse cast,” Carter said during an interview on Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (via BD). “So he’s got his work cut out for him, because we covered so much territory.”
io9 reached out to Disney, which owns Fox, as well as a representative for Coogler about the comment and will update the story if or when we hear back. But it is worth noting that back in 2021, Coogler’s production company Proximity signed a five-year deal to develop television programs for all of Disney’s channels and streaming services. And since it seems likely that Fox still owns the rights to The X-Files, the notion that Carter and Coogler had a conversation about it seems incredibly plausible.
The bigger question is, will Coogler actually do it? Or was it just talks? Carter sounds confident, but in the interview, there was no follow-up. Of course, it wouldn’t be the first time The X-Files came back — the original show, which starred David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson, ended in 2002, then came back in 2016, then came back again in 2018. At the movies, the first film was released in 1998 and the second one 10 years later in 2008. Back in 2020, there was even news of an animated spinoff, but there hasn’t been any updates on that in a while.
All of which is to say… maybe? If Carter said it (he did) and Coogler’s company is looking to create new content for Disney (it is), then that’s more evidence than most X-Files conspiracy theories have behind them.