Television reboots rarely earn the approval of the people who made the originals iconic. The X-Files carries even heavier expectations, with Gillian Anderson’s Dana Scully still defining the franchise for millions of fans decades later. That is exactly why Anderson’s latest verdict on Ryan Coogler’s reboot feels so significant. After reading the script herself, the actress did not just approve of its direction, she called it “brilliant.”

For fans wondering whether the reboot has the blessing of its original stars, Anderson’s reaction may be the closest thing to an answer.

Ryan Coogler’s vision has already won over one of the franchise’s toughest voices. Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, Gillian Anderson said she could not think of a better person to lead The X-Files, revealing she had already read the script and found it brilliant. She was especially impressed by how different the reboot felt while still staying quintessentially X-Files, calling it a rare balance that honored a world so personal to her.

"I cannot think of a better person to take the helm. I cannot wait to see it, because I think that he's extraordinary. And I've read the script that he wrote, and it's brilliant. I was impressed by how different and yet how quintessentially like an X-File it was." Coogler told Entertainment Tonight.

The actress became far more guarded when the conversation with Entertainment Tonight shifted to Dana Scully. Rather than hint at a return, Anderson laughed off the speculation, joking she would not spill the “E-Tea” before encouraging fans to keep an open mind about Coogler’s new direction. Meanwhile, Anderson herself is also set to appear in her upcoming Teenage S** and Death at Camp Miasma, which releases on August 7th.

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While the actress kept her own future a mystery, Ryan Coogler’s plans for The X-Files, however, are becoming much clearer.

Ryan Coogler’s revival has already moved well beyond the idea stage. The filmmaker has written the pilot and is directing the opening episode, with The Copenhagen Test creator Jennifer Yale serving as showrunner. Rather than revisiting Mulder and Scully’s investigations, the series introduces two new FBI agents, played by Danielle Deadwyler and Himesh Patel, as they step into the long-abandoned X-Files division.

Filming on the pilot has already wrapped in Vancouver, bringing the franchise back to the city that helped define its eerie identity throughout the 1990s. Coogler has also promised a far scarier take on the paranormal drama, hinting that the team wants the reboot to deliver episodes that are “really fing scary.” With Anderson already calling the script brilliant, the truth may be closer than fans think.

Whether Dana Scully returns or not remains one of the reboot’s biggest unanswered questions. But Gillian Anderson has already given fans something almost as reassuring.

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Do you think Ryan Coogler’s The X-Files reboot can live up to the original? Let us know in the comment.