Gillian Anderson is an iconic actress known for numerous cult classic roles, but none matched the success of the sci-fi hit The X-Files.
Now joining the Tron franchise with the upcoming Tron: Ares, Anderson spoke to CBR’s Sean O’Connell about what the future might hold for her character, Scully. The X-Files ran for nine seasons and had two revival seasons, labeled 10 and 11. With Sinners director Ryan Coogler developing a reboot of the series, Anderson has previously shared her thoughts on potentially returning.
During the interview, O’Connell noted that Jeff Bridges has portrayed the same character in the Tron franchise for 43 years and asked Anderson whether she and the cast could imagine a character with a similarly long journey, and how such a character might evolve over time. Anderson was speaking about FBI Special Agent Dana Scully. She teased,
There may be a certain point where I end up, maybe in a few years or something, if Ryan Coogler does get X-Files off the ground, that I would dip into Scully again under his tutelage.
The X-Files first aired in 1993, meaning Anderson has been connected to the character of Scully for over thirty years. While it’s still unclear when Coogler will begin production on the reboot, Anderson is likely to achieve a level of long-term success with Scully similar to Bridges’ in Tron.
Next, Anderson will join the Tron franchise in the upcoming Tron: Ares, which sees Bridges return as Kevin Flynn from the earlier films. The cast also includes Jared Leto, Greta Lee, Evan Peters, Jodie Turner-Smith, Hasan Minhaj, and Arturo Castro. Anderson is set to play Elisabeth Dillinger, Julian’s mother and the daughter of Edward Dillinger, portrayed by Peters.
Ryan Coogler has achieved major success with the Black Panther and Creed franchises, and solidified his reputation this year with the horror hit Sinners, which was both a commercial and critical triumph. Coogler has been attached to The X-Files reboot since March 2023, although series creator Chris Carter has confirmed he is not involved in the new project. Earlier this year, Coogler addressed the reboot, confirming that The X-Files is now his top priority following Sinners.
I’m working on X-Files. That’s what’s immediately next, So, I’ve been excited about that for a long time, and I’m fired up to get back to it, and that, you know, some of those episodes, if we do our jobs right, will be really f—king scary.
Coogler revealed
Anderson has also hinted at a possible return, praising Coogler as “the perfect person” for the reboot.
Call me, yes, but, you know, at some point, if the phone rings, and it’s good, and it feels like the right time, perhaps [I’ll return]. That’s what I said. He’s amazing.
She added,