Gillian Anderson, left, David Duchovny, center, and Chris Carter attend the "The X Files" 20th Anniversary panel on Day 2 of Comic-Con International on Thursday, July 18, 2013, in San Diego, Calif.The truth is out there: Don't expect a third "X-Files" film.
While series creator Chris Carter was suitably impressed by a boisterous and enthusiastic Comic-Con International crowd clamoring for a third big-screen venture, he remained decidedly noncommittal on the idea.
"We can get to it later," Carter said Thursday, when asked of the possibility at a panel celebrating the Fox series' 20th anniversary. The panel also featured stars David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson, along with writers and producers.
It was not the answer the crowd was seeking about the fate of FBI agents Dana Scully and Fox Mulder. But those in the audience - including several who had camped out overnight to ensure good seats for the hour-long event - were in a forgiving mood, listening raptly as tales of the show were traded.
"The X-Files," a popular Fox television series, ran from 1993 to 2002 and spawned a pair of feature films.
But the future of the show's big-screen franchise remains as murky as the alien black oil that featured prominently in the popular Fox television series.
While Carter was cool to the proposition of a third "X-Files" film, Duchovny and Anderson were decidedly more amenable.
"I always thought whenever we can come back together, we would, as much as we can, so we will," Duchovny said.
Asked if the show should return to television, a la "24," Anderson replied "No!" then added, "but a film would be great."
Carter noted that the series - now a comic book from IDW Publishing dubbed Season - could find resonance in contemporary times.
"The suspicions and the conspiracy theories are rampant today, so I think that if 'The X-Files' were to come back now, you could do the show now," Carter said.