The X-Files: Gillian Anderson Reveals the Only Way She Would Return as Agent Scully

The X-Files star Gillian Anderson has been vocal about her disappointment with how things panned out for her Dana Scully in Season 11 of the series, confirming her disinterest in reprising her role on multiple occasions, though the actor has recently pointed out that she would be willing to return to the franchise, but only if there was a complete overhaul of the writers behind the project. With it being nearly 30 years since audiences first met Scully, Anderson believes the concept would need to be revived with new creatives, otherwise she would merely be perpetuating an idea that she’s already grown tired of.

“It 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,” Anderson shared with Variety. “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. So yeah, it’s very much in the past.”

Following the original run of the series coming to an end with Season 9, Anderson returned for a movie in 2008, followed by Season 10 in 2016 and Season 11 in 2018. Despite the excitement surrounding all of these returns, the most recent season saw the reveal that William, Scully’s son, had been the result of being drugged and impregnated by the Cigarette-Smoking Man, as opposed to being the result of her relationship with Fox Mulder. 

Not only were fans disappointed with these reveals, but so was Anderson herself, as she took to Twitter following the reveal of William’s real father to post, “Oh boy oh boy do I ever hear you,” alongside a GIF of her character, seemingly amplifying the criticisms from fans of the treatment of the beloved character.

Despite those reveals later in the character’s trajectory, Scully has still left a major mark on audiences, especially female viewers.

“I don’t think it was as clear-cut in my mind as being, ‘Oh, this is a feminist character,’” Anderson pointed out. “I think that it was more of just, ‘This is a woman that I haven’t seen before on television, and she’s so unique.’”

While Scully was considered a progressive figure at the time, Anderson still admitted, “I was expected to walk behind [co-star David Duchovny] when [our characters] walked up to the front doors of the people we were investigating. There were things that I rebelled against.”

Series creator Chris Carter has previously addressed fan concerns about those Season 11 reveals, though has also hinted that we might not have seen the end of the series, even without Anderson’s involvement.

Stay tuned for details on the possible future of The X-Files.

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