FOX Network Exec Says There Are No Plans For More ‘The X-Files’

The fate of The X-Files has been uncertain for months following Gillian Anderson‘s reveal that Season 11 was her final performance as Dana Scully, with the series’ outlook seeming more uncertain based on recent comments by a FOX network exec.

TV Line reports that network co-chairman and CEO Gary Newman shared during a conference call with press that “there are no plans to do another [The X-Files] season at the moment.”

The response might feel vague and, while it’s possible that this ruling could change at some point, it doesn’t bode well for devout fans of the seminal sci-fi series.

Echoing the poor performance of the previous season, Anderson herself took to social media to point out it wasn’t just her departure that made another seasons seem doubtful, but also the poor ratings.

The conflicting reports surrounding the series’ future without Anderson have been confusing, to say the least. Initially, series creator Chris Carter sounded pretty adamant that the series couldn’t continue without Scully playing a vital part of the franchise’s mythology.

“For me, the show has always been Mulder & Scully. So the idea of doing the show without her isn’t something I’ve ever had to consider,” Carter confirmed last year during a Reddit AMA ahead of the Season 11 premiere. “Was her character given a proper goodbye? I think you will want to sit down and watch the series finale very carefully.”

While this answer seems pretty definitive, Carter explained later that he hopes there are more ways to explore the narrative, even without Anderson’s involvement.

“I think that certainlyThe X-Files has more life in it, there are more stories to tell, with Gillian or without,” Carter shared with Digital Spy. “I’m sorry to see her go, I’ve never actually considered doing this show without her, so is this the end? It’s the end of something, I don’t know if it’s the beginning of something new. But certainly we will have to all put our heads together and figure out where to go from here.”

While news of Anderson’s departure may have been a disappointment, it didn’t necessarily come as a surprise to Carter, given that the series began 25 years ago.

“I wasn’t aware when she announced it that she was going to say it, although for quite a while I’ve wondered how long David [Duchovny] and Gillian really wanted to do this show after doing it for 25 years,” Carter confessed. “They’ve played these characters, considering all the material that ended up on the cutting room floor, for probably 6-7,000 hours of their lives. That’s a whole lot of time and so considering that and considering that they’re still relatively young folk, I’m sure they have other things they want to do.”

Do you think we’ll see more The X-Files in any medium? Let us know in the comments below or hit up @TheWolfman on Twitter to talk all things horror and Star Wars!

[H/T TV Line]