A reboot of a fan-favorite series has triggered eyerolls over the “woke” new cast and predictions of a quick ratings decline.
Hulu is launching a reboot of “The X-Files” that will feature new original characters played by American actress Danielle Deadwyler and British Indian actor Himesh Patel. The two will presumably be the replacement versions of the iconic characters Fox Mulder and Dr. Dana Scully, who were played by David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson in the original sci-fi series, which ran from 1993 to 2002.
This is a humiliation ritual
Everyone sees it at this point https://t.co/jbOJvM2VPS
— Jack Posobiec (@JackPosobiec) March 28, 2026
Academy Award-winning filmmaker Ryan Coogler is writing and directing the pilot for the reboot, which is described as “Two very different FBI agents form a bond when they are assigned to a long-shuttered division devoted to cases involving unexplained phenomena.”
“The X-Files will be produced by Onyx Collective and 20th Television and is returning amid a widespread surge of interest in aliens and UFOs. The topic has received congressional attention with several hearings devoted to UAP (Unidentified Aerial Phenomena), recent headlines with presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump weighing in on the topic, and Steven Spielberg’s upcoming film, Disclosure Day, having a premise that sounds straight out of The X-Files,” The Hollywood Reporter noted.
But the new iteration of the classic series has many questioning the diversity casting amid criticisms of racism.
Pay Attention:
All they’re telling you about the “X-Files” reboot is that it’s race-swapped.
No plotlines.
No conspiracies.
No character details.Just that the lead characters will be NOT WHITE.
Why?
Because that’s all that matters to them.
They don’t care if it’s smart.… pic.twitter.com/eRpe12gg71
— Byl Holte (@SirBylHolte) March 28, 2026
Gillian Anderson, who played Scully in the original series, expressed her optimism over the reboot.
“The pilot script is really good. I would say, have an open mind and give it a chance because it’s gonna be f**king cool. It really is,” she said at a panel at Awesome Con. “It’s something different. It’s different, and it’s special, so give it a break.”
No. The Fandom is done having “open minds”
Stop making shit and expecting people to like it.
— ironwillforge4 🇺🇸 🏴☠️ (@ironwillforge4) March 24, 2026
Yet, for all the buzz around the Hulu reboot, it seems many “X-Files” fans are not buying the DEI swaps and reacted on X:
Why? Tell me why! Why do we need woke versions of everything? How about some originality for a change?
— bikefox (@bikefox14) March 29, 2026
The X-Files is my favorite tv show of all time. If this new chapter was starting with original characters, of whatever race, then I would have given it a chance. If they’d rather play games with the race of established characters, then they haven’t learned a thing and the entire…
— LarryD8283 (@LarryDeangelus) March 24, 2026
No one and I mean absolutely no one asked for this. Hollywood is total shit show
— The White Water Company (@MrNanobubble) March 27, 2026
