Treasure the X-Files reboot while it lasts, fans. If Gillian Anderson has her way, this will be the last time we see Scully on screen. The actress recently sent Internet hearts aflutter when she confirmed that this season will be her last time gallivanting around in Scully’s boots—and without Anderson, there simply is no X-Files, according to series creator Chris Carter.
In a recent interview with Collider, Carter initially said that he could see the series continuing for more episodes and perhaps even another movie. However, when asked whether he would continue the series without Anderson, he walked back on his comments. “I wouldn’t,” he said. “For me, The X-Files is Mulder and Scully. I think if it were without Scully, I wouldn’t do it. That’s not my X-Files.”
In late December, Anderson firmly stated that she was done with the show after this most recent reboot. “I’ve said from the beginning this is it for me,” she told TV Insider. “I was a bit surprised by people’s [shocked] reaction to my announcement . . . because my understanding was that this was a single season.”
While this latest reboot does appear to be a single season, networks have become obsessed with revamping nostalgic shows. The last X-Files reboot, which premiered in 2016, was also supposed to be a one-off season, but it did well enough to encourage yet another redo. And here we are, with another handful of episodes launching like it’s 1993 all over again. But this time, if Anderson‘s not bluffing, this is really going to be the last of the series.
Unless . . . the demand for the show is so great that Carter considers re-casting the roles? In the interview, he did chat a bit about what he would do if he had to re-cast the show today—saying he would love to pluck out some unknowns, like he did with David Duchovny and Anderson the first time around. “I think that’s always a good way to go, to create stars and not hitch your wagon to a star,” he continued.
Of course, re-casting beloved roles isn’t always a great idea, but it does have a certain allure for folks who want to keep franchises alive. Perhaps Carter could dream up a series about two new agents who exist in the X-Files universe but aren’t necessarily tasked with being the new Scully and Mulder. The last reboot of the series even toyed with the concept a little, centering one episode on an F.B.I. duo who are basically young Scully and Mulder doppelgangers. In addition, Seasons 8 and 9 of the show managed to scrape by when both Anderson and Duchovny scaled back their appearances after going a little “crazy” over the show’s demanding hours.
Then again, those seasons aren’t regarded as highly because much of the show’s charm lies in the fact that Anderson is Scully and Duchovny is Mulder. That’s the DNA of the series. But in this reboot-hungry world where nostalgia is God, this might—strong might here—not be the last time we see “The Truth Is Out There” flash across our screens, Gillian Anderson or no Gillian Anderson.
