X-Files Season 12: Will More Episodes Ever Release?

A supposed X-Files Season 12 poster sparked speculation about more episodes coming from the hit sci-fi series. 

The X-Files went off the air one last time in 2018, following a two-season revival of the beloved 1990s TV drama. 

At the time, it felt as though the show had run its course, but - as fans have discovered over the years - nothing in Hollywood is ever dead, with some starting to wonder if the show would ever come back. 

Could The X-Files Season 12 Be On the Way?

Fan speculation is swirling online following the appearance of a poster for what looks to be The X-Files Season 12. 

The alleged piece of marketing emerged on social media, sporting Gillian Anderson's Dana Scully and David Duchovny's Fox Mulder along with some of the series' signature UFO conspiracy imagery. 

While the poster itself does not offer much info aside from that, it does come with a Hulu release date of October 13, 2024. 

According to the post, the supposed Season 12 will center on Mulder and Scully as they are thrust into the "shadows of a conspiracy that threatens not just their future but humanity's:"

"In the wake of revelations and new beginnings, 'The X-Files' Season 12 thrusts Mulder and Scully into the shadows of a conspiracy that threatens not just their future but humanity's. With a child on the way and the fabric of reality bending around them, can they unearth the truth buried in lies, or will the secrets they uncover change everything they've fought for? Dive into the unknown, where belief confronts truth, and the journey into the paranormal becomes a quest for survival."

While the poster has sparked plenty of cogitation among fans, it has proven to be a fake. 

It originates from a Facebook profile known for its satirical and speculative posters and is sadly nothing more than a convincing Photoshop job. 

How Likely Is X-Files Season 12?

Since The X-Files rounded out its two-season return in 2018, there has been plenty of conversation surrounding a potential 12th season down the road. 

Nothing official has been made public about a return of the series, but those closely involved in the franchise have not shied away from talking about it. 

Series creator Chris Carter told Digital Spy during Season 11's 2018 run, "I think that certainly The X-Files has more life in it," but what that exactly means he "[doesn't] know:"

"I don't know. I think that certainly 'The X-Files' has more life in it, there are more stories to tell, with Gillian or without. I'm sorry to see her go, I've never actually considered doing this show without her, so is this the end? It's the end of something, I don't know if it's the beginning of something new. But certainly we will have to all put our heads together and figure out where to go from here."

If the series does move forward, it will likely have to do so without the help of one of its biggest stars. 

Before Season 11's release, Dana Scully actress Gillian Anderson revealed the 2018 batch of episodes would be her last in the classic sci-fi TV series. 

She said, "It's time for me to hang up Scully's hat," (via The Hollywood Reporter), announcing her retirement from The X-Files:

"It's time for me to hang up Scully's hat. It just is. I arrived at the decision before we did the previous six, but I was really curious. I felt that the previous six was going to be it. It was dipping our toe back in again... and getting to play these wonderful characters again."

That is not to say, though, that Chris Carter and The X-Files team would be opposed to telling more stories within the universe without Anderson. 

During Carter's conversation with Digital Spy, he posited that they have room to do more X-Files "with Gillian or without."

Following the end of Season 11, Carter admitted he was hoping a Season 12 would eventually happen, especially given the last season closed on a cliffhanger. 

In an interview with a Danish X-Files podcast called Sammensværgelsen (via Den of Geek), Carter said, "I always thought there would be even more X-Files," and did not realize that the exit of Anderson would mean the end of the series overall:

“I always thought there would be even more 'X-Files'/ Gillian [Anderson] decided very late into the shooting of the season 11 finale, I didn’t realize there wouldn’t be more 'X-Files.'"

It seems as though Chris Carter is ready to do more X-Files (or at least was around the end of Season 11) if he was given the opportunity; however, it is just a matter of a network making that happen and letting him do so.

The X-Files is streaming on Hulu and Amazon Prime Video in the U.S.