Is Chris Carter involved with Ryan Coogler’s reboot of The X-Files?

The X-Files creator Chris Carter revealed last year that Black Panther director Ryan Coogler was developing a reboot of the iconic series, but how involved will Carter be in this new take on his creation?

Chris Carter spoke with The Wrap at the opening of his art exhibit in Los Angeles over the weekend, where he revealed that he’s not involved with the X-Files reboot beyond giving it his blessing and acting as its cheerleader. “I wouldn’t [be involved],” Carter said. “Only as a cheerleader. They don’t need my blessing. 20th Century Fox and Disney owns the show. They are free to do with it what they believe. I’m honored that they came to me and asked me, not for my permission, but my blessing.“

The X-Files creator said that he spoke with Ryan Coogler about the reboot but couldn’t spill any details. “I’m not supposed to be talking about it, according to Disney. But I’ll tell you, yes. I’ve had a conversation with him,” he said. “Yes, he likes to go with a diverse cast. And he’s got some good ideas.” Depending on your feelings towards Carter, knowing he won’t be creatively involved in the new project might be a good thing.

As for whether he would like to continue with his X-Files series, Carter said only if David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson would want to do it. While I doubt that we will ever see the classic X-Files team reunite, I think we’ve learned never to say never. Even Anderson, who famously said she was done with the character, did seem at least receptive to the idea of a return provided it was under new management. “[The X-Files] just feels like such an old idea. I’ve done it, I did it for so many years, and it also ended on such an unfortunate note (Scully’s pregnancy reveal),” Anderson said in 2022. “In order to even begin to have that conversation (about another season) there would need to be a whole new set of writers and the baton would need to be handed on for it to feel like it was new and progressive.“

The X-Files remains one of my favourite TV shows of all time, and it’s one of the few I can return to again and again. While the idea of a reboot may seem sacrilegious to some, I am curious to see what Ryan Coogler can do with the concept. It’s a very different world than in 1993, so the time could be right for new mysteries, conspiracies, and monsters.