FOX has confirmed that has insisted season 11 will be her last, the news suggests that the current season could be the end for the beloved series.
Created by Chris Carter and starring David Duchovny as Fox Mulder and Gillian Anderson as Dana Scully, The X-Files centers on two FBI agents that investigate paranormal and extraterrestrial events. The show ran for nine seasons, beginning in 1993 and ending in 2002. The series was revived for a limited run of six episodes that aired in 2016. An eleventh season was announced in April of 2017. Though fans were excited for the show's return, they were left disappointed when Anderson remarked at New York Comic-Con that she was prepared to be done with The X-Files after season 11.
Related: X-Files Creator Stands By Season 11 Twist
At the TCA winter press tour, FOX chairman and CEO Dana Walden confirmed that The X-Files would end if Anderson doesn't return. However, FOX has yet to give up on Anderson. Fellow FOX chairman and CEO Gary Newman told TV Guide that Anderson could still change her mind.
I think you could have asked Chris, David or Gillian at various times since the show originally went off the air and some days you'd get a yes, some days you'd get a no. They've done two additional seasons. I would not foreclose the possibility that in the future there could be more. Not only are there no plans [right now], but there hasn't been a single conversation about it.
Series creator Chris Carter previously weighed in on Anderson's decision, saying that The X-Files had always been about Mulder and Scully. Carter said that doing The X-Files without her was something he had never had to consider.
It's easy to understand why FOX would be unwilling to continue the series without Anderson. The heart of the show has always been the chemistry between the two characters. In each case, Mulder is the believer in the impossible, while Scully is portrayed as the skeptic who prefers logic and facts over faith.
Despite the popularity of the duo, FOX has tried once before to do The X-Files without one of their two leads. Mulder was absent during all of season 9, except for the finale. Bringing in new characters wasn't able to give them the success that they found in past seasons, leading them to cancel the show. It makes sense that FOX is unwilling to use the same strategy again. So unless FOX makes Anderson an offer she can't refuse, season 11 will likely be the end of the series.
MORE: X-Files Season 11 Premiere Review
Season 11 of The X-Files continues with "This" on Wednesday, January 10th on FOX.
Source: TV Guide