- Primary Subject: The X-Files Reboot
- Key Update: Original star Gillian Anderson has confirmed she has read Ryan Coogler's "really good" pilot script and has held multiple conversations with the director about reprising her role as Dana Scully.
- Status: Pilot Greenlit / Pre-Production
- Last Verified: March 26, 2026
- Quick Answer: While not officially signed, Gillian Anderson is "open-minded" about returning following discussions with director Ryan Coogler. Danielle Deadwyler is currently the only confirmed lead.
Will Gillian Anderson reprise her role as Agent Dana Scully in The X-Files reboot? The question came to quite a buzz after Hulu revealed they're moving forward with the reboot, with Sinners filmmaker Ryan Coogler set to write and direct the plot, along with the Sex Education star's reaction to reading the script.
Could Gillian Anderson Reprise Her Role as Agent Scully?
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In the original The X-Files, Agent Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) and Agent Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) paired up in the FBI's paranormal division, where they must extinguish extraterrestrial threats from Earth.
Considering that The X-Files revival has long been a passion project for Coogler, with more potential and space to explore in the reboot, there's a chance that Anderson's return could trigger nostalgia for fans of the original series.
"He's such a cool guy and so talented," Anderson said of Coogler at Awesome Con, confirming that she has already read the pilot script and that it's "really good." However, she danced around the possibility of her return to her most iconic role. She teased that she and the filmmaker have had a "few conversations" and that she has an "open mind" of potentially giving the revival a chance.
Anderson added, "I would say, have an open mind and give it a chance because it's gonna be [fricking] cool. It's something different. It's different, and it's special, so give it a break."
It is worth mentioning that Anderson previously expressed her excitement and eagerness to join, while complimenting Coogler as the perfect person to make the reboot happen: "I spoke to [Coogler], and what I said was, 'If anyone were to do it, I think you are the perfect person, and best of luck.'" Before telling Coogler humorously, "Call me."
Everything We Know So Far About The X-Files Reboot
The X-Files reboot was first confirmed with a pilot order at Hulu sometime in February 2026, featuring actor Danielle Deadwyler to star. The project was first teased in 2023 when original creator Chris Carter revealed Coogler was developing a "new version with a diverse cast."
While Ryan Coogler is expected to write and direct, Chris Carter, who was the showrunner when The X-Files first launched in 1993, will serve as a non-writing executive producer on the reboot. Sev Ohanian and Zinzi Coogler, his partners at their Proximity Media Banner, will be taking on the same role.
The original The X-Files ran for nine seasons before returning for two revivals in 2016 and 2018. It also spawned feature films and the latest reboot.
"I've been so 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 [fricking] scary," Coogler told The Last Podcast on the Left previously. "We're gonna try to make something really great, bro, and really be something for the real X-Files fans, and maybe find some new ones."
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