David Duchovny Opens Up About Possible Return for THE X-FILES Reboot - “There Have Been Talks”
The truth is still out there… and now it sounds like David Duchovny could be part of finding it again. As anticipation builds around The X-Files revival from Ryan Coogler, Duchovny has addressed the growing chatter about whether Fox Mulder could make a comeback alongside Dana Scully.
This comes shortly after Gillian Anderson revealed she’s already read Coogler’s pilot script and called it “really f*cking cool,” which only added fuel to the speculation. Now Duchovny is weighing in, and while nothing is locked in, it sounds like conversations are happening.
“There have been talks about certain things, but there’s nothing concrete at this point,” Duchovny said while speaking with THR about a possible appearance in the reboot.
He also confirmed he’s at least connected with Coogler creatively, even if he hasn’t fully seen the plan yet. “I’ve spoken to Ryan, and I have a general sense of what it is, but I haven’t read the script,” he explained.
Even without direct involvement, Duchovny seems genuinely hopeful about where the series could go, saying: “I wish them luck. It’s a great frame that Chris Carter came up with all those years ago — a believer and a nonbeliever tackling these mysteries. I always thought it was endlessly generative.
“It really comes down to the writers room for me. Because we had great writers. We had Vince Gilligan, the Morgan brothers, Howard Gordon, Darin Morgan, and others. We were blessed to have a writers room that could generate 20 to 25 movie ideas.”
That creative engine is what Duchovny believes made the original series so special, and he hopes Coogler leans into that strength while adapting the format for today’s TV landscape.
Duchovny continues, “The X-Files was a movie idea every week. So I hope Ryan doesn’t have to do 25 [episodes] and only has to do 10 or 12. And I hope he’s got great writers, because that’s really the key to making that show work.”
The upcoming version of The X-Files is being written and directed by Coogler for Hulu, with Jennifer Yale serving as showrunner.
The story will introduce a fresh duo of FBI agents played by Danielle Deadwyler and Himesh Patel, who are pulled into a dormant division investigating unexplained phenomena. Like Mulder and Scully before them, they’ll come from very different perspectives, which should create that same friction fans loved.
Coogler is producing through Proximity Media alongside Sev Ohanian, Zinzi Coogler, Yale, and original creator Chris Carter, keeping a creative link to the franchise’s roots.
The X-Files remains one of the most iconic sci-fi TV series ever made. It originally ran from 1993 to 2002, delivering nine seasons before returning for two more in 2016 and 2018. Across 218 episodes and two feature films, The X-Files: Fight the Future and The X-Files: I Want to Believe, the series carved out a legacy built on paranoia, mystery, and unforgettable monster-of-the-week storytelling.
Whether Duchovny and Anderson ultimately return or not, Coogler’s take on The X-Files is shaping up to be something worth watching. But let’s be honest… if Mulder and Scully show up, even briefly, it would take this whole thing to another level.
