Divisive X-Files Character's Return Potential For Ryan Coogler's Reboot Addressed By Original Star

Published Oct 4, 2026, 5:40 PM EDT Growing up around performers, storytelling was always central to Emma's life. Add in a nerdy older brother who introduced her to Marvel at far too young an age, and her love for entertainment led her to pursue a Journalism degree at Indiana University, where she discovered her passion for entertainment reporting. She spent nearly one year in Los Angeles covering industry stories and fully immersing herself in the world of entertainment media. Laurie Holden is ready to return to The X-Files more than two decades after her last appearance as Marita Covarrubias. Holden joined the sci-fi series in season 4 and continued making recurring appearances through season 9, with Marita becoming closely involved in the show's larger alien conspiracy mythology. Although Holden did not return for the 2016 or 2018 revival seasons, Ryan Coogler's upcoming X-Files reboot could potentially give her another opportunity. Speaking with Gold Derby, Holden expressed that she would be interested in appearing in Coogler's new X-Files project if he approached her about returning: "Yeah, I would be game. Of course! It's Ryan Coogler." Otherwise, the Marita actor explained that she believes her character's original storyline reached an appropriate conclusion, which is why she wasn't surprised to be absent from the previous revivals. However, the actor still imagines that her character's work continued after viewers last saw her. "That's not to say she couldn't make an appearance down the line. You never know. I like to think she's still in this world, possibly in Europe, working with the same passion and drive to help humanity." The interview also comes exactly 30 years after Holden made her X-Files debut in the season 4 premiere, "Herrenvolk," which aired on October 4, 1996. Looking back on the show's continued popularity three decades later, she has noticed a new generation discovering the series. "There's been this resurgence, maybe because it's the next generation discovering the show." Marita's introduction wasn't immediately embraced by every viewer, and Holden recalls that some worried the mysterious new character could come between Mulder and Scully. Looking back three decades later, she joked that she's firmly on their side, declaring, "It's Mulder and Scully forever!" Holden's interest comes as Coogler's reboot has made significant progress. The X-Files reboot pilot has already wrapped filming, though Hulu has not yet officially ordered the project to series. The Black Panther and Sinners filmmaker wrote and directed the pilot, with See's Jennifer Yale serving as showrunner. Danielle Deadwyler and Himesh Patel lead the new cast as FBI agents tasked with reopening the defunct division that investigated extraterrestrial and other unexplained phenomena. Amy Madigan, Steve Buscemi, Devery Jacobs, Ben Foster, Tantoo Cardinal, Lochlyn Munro, Joel Montgrand, and Sofia Grace Clifton also join the rebootcast. The new leads seem to mark a major departure from the original series' central pairing of Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson). However, that doesn't necessarily mean familiar faces are completely off the table. Original creator Chris Carter has remained largely outside the reboot's creative process, allowing Coogler to develop his own vision for the franchise. Carter previously told ScreenRant that he hadn't seen footage from the pilot but was eager to discover what Coogler had created, calling him a "once-in-a-lifetime filmmaker." Holden's idea that Marita could still be working "in the shadows" could also make a potential appearance easier to fit into Coogler's new story. With the reboot introducing a new generation of FBI agents, an original mythology character could connect to The X-Files' past without taking the focus away from Deadwyler and Patel. It would also come at an interesting time for the franchise. Three decades after Holden first appeared as Marita, the actor says she's seeing a "resurgence" in interest as younger viewers discover The X-Files, while Coogler prepares to introduce his own generation of characters. Right now, Holden isn't part of Ryan Coogler's X-Files reboot, but she's made it clearshe's open to returning if given the opportunity. The X-Files TV Show(s) The X-Files, Millennium, The Lone Gunmen Video Game(s) The X-Files First Film The X-Files First TV Show The X-Files Cast David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, Mitch Pileggi, Robert Patrick, Annabeth Gish, William B. Davis, Nicholas Lea, Chris Owens, Sheila Larken, Tom Braidwood Created by Chris Carter