This Could Be A Case For Mulder And Worry: Gillian Anderson Is Done With 'The X-Files' After Season 11

As we head into a unknown fate for Fox's The X-Files, it looks like it could be all change for Chris Carter's long-running sci-fi spectacular. With a new trailer for Season 11 having just dropped, cult fandom can once again see Fox Mulder and Dana Scully take on more tales of the unexpected. Coming off the back of that long-awaited Season 10 revival, the next installment will undoubtedly decide the future of the show. The truth (and at least another season) is out there, however, if/when #TheXFiles returns, it will be without one of its leading stars.

Scully's Swansong

After some 24 years of playing the stoic Dana Scully, #GillianAnderson has decided it is time to leave her pantsuit behind. Speaking at New York Comic-Con, Screen Rant reports that the 49-year-old played up the rumors that she she will be bowing out of her iconic role after Season 11, saying:

“No, no. I think this will be it for me.”

Asked why she returned for another alien adventure in Season 11, Anderson said it was effectively to round off Scully's storyline:

"Because it felt like it wasn’t over. It didn’t feel like we necessarily deliver everything the fans were expecting of us last time, and so it was that.

With the show's initial run going from from 1993 to 2002, even the most diehard Files fans hadn't expected Season 10 to arrive in 2016. However, under a successful run of six episodes, it seems that audiences were just as happy to dust off the case files as they had ever been. Now, with Season 11 scheduled to unveil an extended crop of 10 episodes, it sounds like there is just enough time to end Scully's story.

For those worrying that this could signal the end of the road for The X-Files, fear not. It was announced that Season 8 and 9 alumni Annabeth Gish would be reprising her role as Agent Monica Reyes, as would Season 10 stars Robbie Amell and Lauren Ambrose. Added to this that Season 11 has brought on Barbara Hershey, there is more than enough new blood to usher in a new chapter in The X-Files lore.

It is certainly a sad day for Fox's long-standing show, which has become a staple of the network since its inception, but as nothing lasts forever, it had to be expected. Asked if she would miss playing Scully, Anderson clearly still has an affinity with the part:

"I don’t know. You may need to talk to me in a few years about that once I finally shut the door. You know, there’s always been this 'maybe one more' thing hanging over, but when the door is finally shut, call me up and ask me that question again."

Thankfully, with roles in the likes of Starz's American Gods, and even a possible Hannibal revival, Anderson will have plenty to keep her busy. We still don't know whether Scully's exit was always part of Season 11's arc, but we will undoubtedly find out more as the season unfolds later next year.