X-Files Creator Claims Ryan Coogler Is Rebooting The Franchise

Ryan Coogler, the director of Creed and both Black Panther films, may be eying another franchise for adaptation. In a recent interview with CBC's On The Coast, X-Files creator Chris Carter mentioned Coogler was looking to "remount" the franchise.

"I just spoke to a young man, Ryan Coogler, who is going to remount The X-Files with a diverse cast," Carter said (via The Verge). "He's got his work cut out for him, because we covered so much territory."

Carter has previously talked about the challenges in updating the show. In a 2021 New York Times op-ed, the writer-director discussed his thoughts on the prevalence and changing nature of conspiracy theories. Since the show ended, dangerous conspiracy theories, fueled by extremely accessible misinformation online, have altered the course of our culture--something he called "the industrialization of conspiracy theories," and also something he acknowledges that's difficult for the show's sometimes light-hearted tone would have difficulty addressing.

In the interview, Carter also mentioned a director like Coogler and his track record could hit on the right approach. Currently, though, the official status of this "remount" is unknown. While details about the new show are scarce, it's assumed that it's a separate project from the animated spinoff comedy series called The X-Files: Albuquerque, announced back in 2020. However, there's no official confirmation of whether The X-Files: Albuquerque is still in the works, and it's unclear whether Coogler's project is for TV or film.