Credit: 20th Century StudiosIn a move that proves Disney’s far-reaching power, the company is looking to reboot yet another formerly Fox-owned franchise.
The X-Files has become one of the most popular sci-fi shows over the last 30 years. The first season aired in 1993 and spent the next 10 years and nine seasons captivating fans and causing many to ask: is the truth out there? X-Files starred David Duchovny as Fox Mulder and Gillian Anderson as Dana Scully, two FBI Special Agents assigned to investigate various “X-Files,” unsolved cases usually involving paranormal and extraterrestrial phenomena. Over the course of the series, Mulder and Scully must learn to trust each other, even when they can’t trust the government, and they develop a close bond that would result in a “will they, won’t they?” relationship for years.
It’s become not only a cult classic but a pop culture staple since it first aired so many years ago. The show saw a minor reboot in 2016 and again in 2018, for a tenth and eleventh season, respectively, and saw Anderson and Duchovny reprising their roles. Unfortunately, the reboot wasn’t well accepted, and it was canceled soon after. Now, it seems as though Disney is giving a reboot another go with the latest report from Bloomberg.
Discussing the shift of entertainment from cable to streaming, Bloomberg discusses the shift of streaming into its “franchise era.” Reporting on the trend, they mention Disney, and it’s apparent new project. “Disney, which birthed the idea of ‘cinematic universes, ‘is developing a new version of X-Files that would be produced by Ryan Coogler, the director of Black Panther and Creed,” the article reports.
Not much is known about the rumored Disney X-Files reboot at this time, except that unfortunately, it most likely would not see the return of Anderson or Duchovny. According to IGN, Anderson has previously stated that “a lot would have to change for her to consider another return,” citing the poor performance of the final season and the fact that she’s already done it for so long. Disney+ has had some success with its original streaming series, like Marvel’s Loki and its recently released Percy Jackson and the Olympians. It’s possible that shifting their focus to something for a wider audience that already has a massive fanbase could help the streaming service and the company recoup some of their recent losses.
Disney has been struggling with recent releases, with their recent animated films being poorly received and fans growing tired of their live-action remakes. Many have called this Disney’s “flop era,” and rebooting a show as iconic as the X-Files could either be the boost that Disney needs or could sink them further if it isn’t done well. However, with Coogler previously attached to box-office hits like Black Panther and Creed, he very well could be the one to lead a new generation into discovering the truth.
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