David Duchovny doesn’t know much about the new The X-Files reboot, but he has at least spoken with Ryan Coogler about what’s in store.
The actor behind the original show’s FBI agent co-lead, Fox Mulder, touched on the reboot during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. As the show continues to come together behind the scenes, the truth is, he knows little about what the new show is about or even what universe it takes place in.
“No, I haven’t,” Duchovny said when asked if he’s read a pilot script. “I’ve spoken to Ryan, and I have a general sense of what it is, but I haven’t read the script.”
He added that there have been “talks about certain things” but stopped short of confirming whether or not he’ll appear, adding, “there’s nothing concrete at this point.” The star seems to be so in the dark so far that he’s not even sure that, if he were to return, Fox Mulder could even play a part in the new world Coogler is creating.
“I don’t know what the world of his show is. I don’t know if my character exists in that show. It’s all hypothetical to me, so I can’t really address it.”
News that the classic ‘90s sci-fi TV series would be getting a reboot first emerged in 2023, when Bloomberg reported the director behind Black Panther was spearheading the project. As Coogler finished up work on last year’s explosive Sinners, new details about the new X-Files series story have reared their head since. A synopsis shared by Deadline has said the show will follow “two highly decorated but vastly different FBI agents” who “form an unlikely bond when they are assigned to a long-shuttered division devoted to cases involving unexplained phenomena.”
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“We were blessed to have a writers room that could generate 20 to 25 movie ideas,” Duchovny added when sharing his reaction to the reboot. “I’m not going to insult something like The Pitt, because that’s great television. But 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 X-Files reboot picked up a series order at Hulu while adding Danielle Deadwyler (Carry-On, Till) as one of the two leads in February. Himesh Patel (Tenet, Yesterday) joined as a co-star late last month. While there’s no word on whether Duchovny will return as Fox Mulder, Gillian Anderson, who played FBI agent Dana Scully, has teased her interest in returning, too.
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
