Should Ryan Coogler’s X-Files Be a Reboot or a Continuation?

At long last, Hulu has officially ordered a pilot for Ryan Coogler’s take on The X-Files. Coogler will write and direct, with Danielle Deadwyler set to play one of the two coveted lead roles. For fans who grew up with slow-burn sexual tension, big-ass flashlights, and Mark Snow’s iconic theme song burned permanently into their brains, this is big.

The new show’s official description reads: “Two highly decorated but vastly different FBI agents form an unlikely bond when they are assigned to a long-shuttered division devoted to cases involving unexplained phenomena.” This logline differs slightly from the original’s premise, which began with Agent Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) being assigned to the paranormal division to help debunk the work of true-believer Agent Fox Mulder (David Duchovny). 

So here’s the real question: Should this new X-Files exist in the same universe as the original, or should Coogler wipe the slate clean with a reboot?

The New X-Files Should Be a Continuation

The biggest argument for staying in continuity is simple: legacy. If this series takes place in the same universe, the door remains open for appearances from the original cast. Gillian Anderson has already hinted that she’s spoken with Coogler and hasn’t ruled out returning. That alone is enough to excite longtime fans.

Scully as a mentor figure? Absolutely. A retired but still obsessed Mulder emerging from the wilderness to drop crucial knowledge? Very possible. Walter Skinner still holding things together at the FBI? Give it to me. And yes, even the Cigarette Smoking Man could somehow slither his way back in. This is The X-Files, after all.

And let’s be honest: fans are deeply attached to the mythology. The alien colonization arc, the black oil, and the Syndicate are all part of the X-Files DNA. Tossing it aside entirely could feel like erasing decades of emotional investment.

The New X-Files Should Be a Reboot

But here’s the counterargument. Even die-hard fans can admit that the alien mythology became increasingly tangled as the original run progressed. The revival seasons didn’t help things, and perhaps made the lore even murkier. Mysteries stacked on top of mysteries. Answers contradicted answers. But we forgave it all (nearly) because of our love for Mulder and Scully.

Starting fresh would allow Coogler to design a long-term mythology from the ground up, one that doesn’t require viewers to remember plot threads from years ago.

There’s also the creative freedom factor. If Coogler is beholden to decades of canon, he risks being boxed in. Every design choice, every reference, every tweak to the mythology would be scrutinized. We’ve seen this dynamic play out in other legacy franchises, especially in the modern Star Trek era, where debates over canon sometimes overshadow the storytelling itself.

A spiritually aligned but canonically separate X-Files could avoid that tightrope walk. One which keeps the tone, but would allow the mythology to breathe and chart its own course. But hey, just give us some spooky monsters-of-the-week episodes and most of us will happily tune in.

Or Something In Between…

Of course, there’s a third option: the soft reboot. Same universe. New agents. Light touch on the mythology. Legacy characters appear in glorified cameos. It stands on its own while politely acknowledging what came before, but without total reverence.

In theory, it’s the safest move. In practice? It risks feeling like a compromise designed by committee, the kind that doesn’t fully satisfy die-hards or newcomers.

Whether it be a reboot or a continuation, both options would allow Coogler to explore how conspiracy culture has evolved. The original series thrived in the ‘90s era of shadow governments and UFO paranoia. But today? Governments have openly acknowledged unidentified aerial phenomena, social media fuels misinformation on an industrial scale, and conspiracy culture isn’t fringe anymore; it’s mainstream. Coogler’s X-Files could examine how truth-seeking functions in a world where everyone thinks they already “know” the truth.

So, I’ll throw it back to you: Should Ryan Coogler’s X-Files be a reboot or a continuation of the original series?

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