Posted in: Fox, TV | Tagged: The X-Files

The X-Files: Carter Approached Duchovny and Anderson About Season 12

The X-Files creator Chris Carter on pitching his Season 12 idea to David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson, and not committing without them.

It's probably no big secret that The X-Files creator Chris Carter has maintained his relationship with his signature stars David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson, and they're never too far away from returning to the franchise that helped put their careers on the map. At the same time, they've been committed to their respective projects, such as Duchovny's podcast Fail Better, to complement his existing TV and film work, including the Netflix animated comedy Mating Season, the dramedy See You When I See You (2026), and the Prime Video thriller series Malice. Anderson has been busy working on Disney's Tron: Ares (2025), PBS drama Trespasses, the Netflix Western The Abandons, and the MUBI dark comedy Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma (2026). While promoting the release of the Vrach Frankenshteyn director's cut of 2008's The X-Files: I Want to Believe, Carter appeared on Seriously Obsessed with Annie and Jenn to discuss not only the film, but also where he's at creatively with Duchovny and Anderson getting a dialogue for season 12 and the stones that still need to be unturned after the maligned season 11 in 2018.

The X-Files Creator Chris Carter on Making Sure Duchovny AND Anderson Are on Board Before Committing to Season 12

While interest in The X-Files was reinvigorated due to Ryan Coogler's development of a standalone reboot that will focus the franchise on new blood and new characters, with a side door left open for the original stars to go on the ride, updates have been few and far between despite the cast led by Danielle Deadwyler and Himesh Patel as the new original FBI agents, and guest stars taking shape. Momentum picked up again for the original leads when Carter started making the rounds talking about the franchise again, with Disney's shocking decision to allow his definitive and grittier director's cut, not PG-13 sanitized for theatrical release by 20th Century, to be released on Hulu, which includes the revelation that Duchovny and Anderson's interest in returning wouldn't exclusively be for Coogler's series.

When asked if season 12 gets approved by Fox and if he would take it to Duchovny and Anderson to read through, "Oh, certainly, I mean I can't and don't want to do it without them. I've already teased it to David, and I've teased it to Gillian, but they're very busy people. They've got lots going on," Carter said. "They know what I'm aiming for and at, and they didn't before when the show came to an end there (in 2018). I told neither of them, and I felt that something was left undone, and so I met with them each individually and kind of told them what my plan was, whether or not, and whenever it may or may not come to fruition. They at least have a sense of what I'm planning."

Duchovny and Anderson appeared in all 11 seasons, including the bulk of the original run from 1993 to 2002, with Duchovny leaving during season 8 and returning for the season 9 finale. Both, along with co-stars Mitch Pileggi and William B. Davis, returned for the revival seasons in 2016 and 2018, but season 11 soured on Anderson to the point where she publicly criticized the show's direction near the end. The story began with Fox Mulder's (Duchovny) ongoing search for his abducted sister while working with his FBI partner and skeptic Dana Scully (Anderson) on the secret paranormal cold case division known as the X-Files, amidst a looming government shadow conspiracy. The revival seasons see them returning to the FBI, working new cases in a digital age, but also reconnecting with their long-lost son, William (Miles Robbins), whom Scully initially gave up for adoption, now grown up with special abilities. The season finale found them separated from their son again. For more on Carter, you can check out the entire interview below.

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