David Duchovny Calls Fox Mulder ‘Worst FBI Agent In History’
David Duchovny was joined by The X-Files creator Chris Carter and co-star Mitch Pileggi at New York Comic Con on Saturday, where they discussed the hotly anticipated six-episode limited series. Lucky fans also viewed an advanced screening of the premiere episode titled “My Struggle.” Gillian Anderson was not in attendance, but she made a quick cameo before the episode screened, Variety reports.
The first episode of the 10th season introduced Joel McHale as conservative conspiracy theorist Tad O’Malley. Several current political issues are also touched on, which Chris Carter said was intentional.
“It’s a perfect time to be telling ‘X-Files,’ stories,” Carter said. “That’s why I was excited about doing it (again). We knew we needed to make a statement and be bold.”
.@kumailn chatted with the guys of #TheXFiles at #NYCC. You were missed @GillianA! #NYCC2015 pic.twitter.com/TrzE2PUxn8
— The X-Files (@thexfiles) October 10, 2015
The X-Files ran for nine seasons on Fox from 1993-2002. It spawned two feature films, 1998’s The X-Files: Fight the Future, which cost over $60 million to produce and grossed nearly $200 million. 2008’s The X-Files: I Want to Believe cost a reported $30 million to get in the can and earned a little over $68 million at the box office.
Carter confessed that the only reason the series is back is because David wanted to do it, and David hinted that he wouldn’t be opposed to an 11th season.
“David was interested in doing the show,” Carter said. “I said, ‘If David is interested, I am too.'”
David and Chris hit up the EW and Sirius XM Comic Con lounge, where the discussion on the return of Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully continued.
“They’re brand new fresh stories. Nothing that was sitting on the shelf,” Carter told EW’s Kyle Anderson.
David added that he and Chris have always discussed the possibility of returning and working together again in some capacity.
“The truth is we’ve always kept in touch about doing more stories in whatever form was available to us,” Duchovny said. “When cable came in, and limited runs came on the network through the cable model, it became clear to us that if we weren’t able to do the movies, we could tell the stories Chris wanted to tell, and it might even be better suited for these long short runs.”
David also shared why he believes Mulder has resonated with fans for over 20 years.
“I think he fails and he never gives up. People like his sense of wonder and never giving up. They like his sense of humor, they love the relationship between him and Scully,” Duchovny said. “I’ve always described him as the worst FBI agent in history. He’s not put one person behind bars in how many episodes? And yet, I think that’s what’s lovable about him. He continues to do his job the way he conceives of his job, in spite of his complete incompetence.”
Fox and Dana have been ranked among fans’ most favorite onscreen couples. Chris delved a bit about the status of their relationship to attendees at The X-Files Comic Con panel, confirming that the believer and the skeptic are no longer living together.
“I was going under a bridge and on the bridge above us it said, ‘Life has many bumps in the road,'” Carter said. “I think Mulder and Scully hit one of those.”
In addition to Mulder and Scully calling it quits, what else can fans expect in the series revival? The Lone Gunman are back, as is the Cigarette Smoking Man, and of course, he’s still smoking. There are bigger and better conspiracy theories, and the series will find Scully using her medical expertise to help kids, and possibly pay penance for her involvement with the “X-Files.”
David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson return in Season 10 of The X-Files in a special two-night event beginning Sunday, January 24, on Fox. Carter confirmed during the Comic Con panel that the reboot will consist of two mythology episodes and four standalones.
[image courtesy Laura Cavanaugh/Rob Kim/Getty Images/Twitter]
