Chris Carter on future of The X-Files

What comes next for the show is complicated. The series has yet to be picked up for an 11th season (due to the creative team's very busy schedules), so it could be years until the story continues. TV Insider spoke with executive producer Chris Carter about the revival's end, the franchise's future and more.

I know where this goes in my mind. And so, it wasn’t just a cliffhanger without a clear idea of where we go. That said, even though I had a conversation with [Fox boss] Dana Walden today, talking about doing more episodes, I think the question is how to get it done.

[As of now the plan is] we would come right back. We wouldn’t be coming back to the X-Files [standalone cases], per se; we’d be coming back to a continuation of this episode.

In a conversation for EW, Carter explained some the details from the last episode, such as:

- Return of Smoking Man was surprising, but not incredible, and that he loves and respects Mulder, considering him as a great enemy.
- The events from the last scenes will determine whether Molder and Scully will investigating individual cases for the FBI.
- The returning of Agents Miller and Enstein is unclear, or as Carter claimed: "I don't know."
- Mulder and Scully are forever connected, whether romantically or not.
- Their son's search is primary for them.

Speaking of the future of The X-Files, he answered this: "In a conversation I had today, actually, it was suggested that there’s an appetite for more. When that will be, I have no idea. I wasn’t trying to set up a movie [with this finale], just an ongoing story. But I would like to do a big tentpole summer release movie, if we were to do another movie."

Also, in an interview for NY Times, X Files creator expressed his convincing about likely return of new episodes. "I can tell you, almost without a doubt, we will come back."

"It's really a matter of when the actors would be able to do it, when they're available at the same time," he said. "We'd also need a schedule that would give us enough lead time to make it interesting. Nothing's been written yet. I've written down a lot of ideas but there's nothing even close to a script."

Speaking with Coming Soon, he mentioned other actors and their characters planed for this season. "I wanted Robert Patrick back, but he is on his own TV show so we couldn’t get him. It would have been nice to have [FBI Deputy Director] Kersh back on, but [James Pickens, Jr.] is also on a TV show. I got a call from Laurie Holden [who played Marita Covarrubius], who said she would like to come back, as would Veronica Cartwright [who played Cassandra Spender] but we were unable to find ways to use them."

So, once again, what is one of the biggest question left for new episodes? TV Line asked Carter about Mulder and the fact he wasn't immune to "Spartan virus", despite the fact he was abducted. "That’s a good question. And one that needs to be answered," he replied.

Ratings for the last episode (premiere night)