‘Black Panther’ director Ryan Coogler to develop ‘X-Files’ reboot with ‘diverse cast’

By Karu F. Daniels

“Black Panther” director Ryan Coogler has his next job already on deck — a reboot of “The X-Files.”

Chris Carter, the eight-time Emmy-nominated creator of the seminal 1990s sci-fi series, let the cat out of the bag during an interview celebrating the 30th anniversary of the show.

“I just spoke to a young man, Ryan Coogler, who is going to remount ‘The X-Files’ with a diverse cast,” he revealed on CBC radio show “On the Coast with Gloria Macarenko” this week. “He’s got his work cut out for him because we covered so much territory.”

Carter said Coogler, whose latest movie “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’’ received five 2023 Oscar nominations, will have to contend with today’s cultural landscape — a stark contrast from when the series premiered 30 years ago.

“We’re so steeped in conspiracies now,” Carter added. “The X-Files dealt with a central conspiracy, but now the world is so full of conspiracies that I think that it would be a different show.”

Originally launched in 1993 on Fox, “The X Files” became a pop culture touchstone and skyrocketed the careers of stars David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson. Before it ended in 2002, a movie was produced to expand on the show’s stories surrounding the investigations of unusual cases involving supernatural elements. Another movie was produced in 2008, after the show ended.

The series was revived in 2016 but was canceled after two seasons.

According to Deadline, Coogler’s production banner Proximity Media is currently under a five-year exclusive deal with Disney Television.