‘The X-Files’ Reboot: Everything To Know About Ryan Coogler’s ‘F*cking Scary’ Take And Possible Return Of Gillian Anderson (May 2025 Update)

It’s safe to say that Ryan Coogler’s Sinners is a runaway box-office hit. In less than a month, the R-rated horror flick has raked in $214 million stateside and $283 million worldwide, which should be an answer to anybody who questions whether hard-hitting original IP is what audiences want (oh, they want it). Yet what will happen when Coogler climbs aboard the reboot/revival/remake train next? For starters, you can count on Coogler to make the trip worthwhile, both as an investment of his talent and his audience’s time.

Monsters of the week, paranoia, skepticism, and a central dynamic full of unresolved sexual tension by FBI Special Agents Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) and Fox Mulder (David Duchovny)? That’s a vast simplification of what the original The X-Files series delivered over the course of eleven seasons (counting those two that launched in 2026) and multiple movies. Now, the truth is out there again, and Coogler will crack it. Let’s see what that truth is delivering so far.

Plot

Let’s get real first: most revivals and reimaginings do not hit Cobra Kai heights of audience satisfaction or Mr. and Mrs. Smith levels of inventiveness and recontextualization. Coogler will easily be able to do so, but of course, we have to mention that until very recently, there was a question of whether he would really tackle The X-Files.

Oh, it is happening. He will probably also have a powerful soundtrack to boot, but those are tidbits for another day. Right now, we must draw attention to how Coogler (while promoting Sinners) told Last Podcast on the Left (via Variety) that The X-Files reboot is “immediately next” for his schedule:

“I’ve been excited about that for a long time and I’m fired up to get back to it … Some of those episodes, if we do our jobs right, will be really f*cking scary.”

And what of Gillian Anderson’s interest in returning as FBI Agent Dana Scully? Coogler added that they are in contact: “We’re going to try to make something really great, bro, and make something for the real ‘X-Files’ fans and maybe find some new ones.” Granted, Anderson hasn’t inked a deal yet, but Coogler did add, “She’s incredible and fingers crossed there.”

It seems like Anderson is into it with Coogler at the helm. Previously, she told TODAY, “I cannot think of a better way around for a reboot to happen. I think he’s a bit of a genius” and a “brilliant, brilliant director.” What else? “Maybe I’ll pop in for a little somethin-somethin.” Most recently, Deadline reported that Anderson told ITV’s This Morning, “I spoke to him, and what I said was, ‘If anyone were to do it, I think you are the perfect person and best of luck, call me.'”

Variety previously reported that this reboot would likely land on Hulu as part of Coogler’s five-year deal with Walt Disney Television. Original creator Chris Carter is also pumped for Coogler’s vision, as he told Inverse:

“I just asked him what his ideas were, and he told me, and I said, ‘Those sound like good ideas,'” Carter said. “No matter what, he’s got a hard job. Casting is a hard job. Mounting it is a hard job. All the problems that I dealt with are going to be his problems.”

One more loose end: if “skeptic” Scully returned, would “believer” Fox Mulder make a comeback, too? Well, maybe, as David Duchovny admitted to Screenrant, “It just depends on Chris [Carter] or the other writers. I’m always like, ‘Hey, let’s see.'” He did, however, specify that “I don’t know what my character would be like at my age.”

Actually, Clyde Bruckman had a prophecy on what might have happened to Mulder (although he might have been trolling), and it’s… not great:

Did “autoerotic asphyxiation” get Mulder after all? It had to be mentioned.

Cast

No official announcements have been made. We can assume that the series would move on from Fox Mulder even though Gillian Anderson might resume her Dana Scully role. Maybe she’ll be in a Skinner-type position overseeing a new pair of FBI agents? That would make for an unusual supervisory dynamic, considering everything that Scully has seen to change her past perspectives.

It’s also hard to believe that Coogler wouldn’t somehow recruit frequent collaborator Michael B. Jordan after their recent Sinners success on top of their Black Panther, Fruitvale Station, and Creed pairings. These two are a dream team, after all.

Release Date

Since Coogler unequivocally declared this to be his next project, a 2026 release is possible if Hulu is the intended destination.

Trailer

Not possible yet, but until a trailer emerges, we can enjoy this video of Mulder and Scully repeatedly saying, “El Chupacabra.”