The X-Files' Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny Had An Adorable Reunion, But Why?

the x files season 10 scully mulder standing reunited fox
(Image credit: Fox)

Gillian Anderson became an icon on the small screen thanks to her work opposite David Duchovny on The X-Files, and now the actress has shared a look at her recent reunion with her longtime co-star. Considering that the two have reunited to reprise their roles as Agents Scully and Mulder a number of times since the original run of the Fox series came to an end, even with no sign of another revival season it's hard not to wonder what brought them back together.

Judging by the company that Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny are keeping in the photos that Anderson shared of their reunion, they may well have gotten together for reasons that have nothing to do with investigations into the paranormal and a will they/won't they TV dynamic that hooked and frustrated viewers for decades. Take a look:

A photo posted by on

Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny weren't just hanging out with each other during their recent reunion, but also with Anderson's adorable dog Stella! The photos don't show a whole lot of Stella, but congratulations to her (and Duchovny) for making a new friend. The real X-File here might be why it took so long for fans to get to see this cute trio together. And since it didn't happen on their iconic show, there will probably be no aliens, government conspiracies, and/or cigarette-smoking men to cause any trouble!

Stella has turned up several times on Gillian Anderson's Instagram account since making her furry debut back in December 2020, but this is the first one that might get The X-Files fans thinking about a Mulder and Scully reunion. The duo returning to the roles that made them famous (although both have gone on to star in hit series since) wouldn't be unprecedented, as they came back together for The X-Files: I Want to Believe in 2008 and two seasons of an X-Files revival on Fox, with Season 10 in 2016 and Season 11 in 2018.

The Season 11 finale ended with plenty of unanswered questions, especially compared to the original series finale with Season 9 in 2002, but I'm guessing that I'm not the only longtime X-Files fan who would be fine with the show ending there. Season 11 delivered what I felt at the time was "the most WTF finale ever," and I'm perfectly happy to remember The X-Files heyday rather than getting more new episodes.

I'm guessing that it's far more likely that Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny reunited socially, although it's fun to imagine that this was Duchovny recruiting Anderson to appear in his upcoming TV show. Even that doesn't seem all that probable, with Gillian Anderson keeping plenty busy with her own projects, and recently winning a Golden Globe for her performance as Margaret Thatcher on The Crown.

For now, fans can catch Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny again with the eleven seasons of The X-Files (although Duchovny was absent for most of Seasons 8 and 9), all of which are streaming on Hulu now, among a number of great horror TV shows.

Laura Hurley
Senior Content Producer

Laura turned a lifelong love of television into a valid reason to write and think about TV on a daily basis. She's not a doctor, lawyer, or detective, but watches a lot of them in primetime. CinemaBlend's resident expert and interviewer for One Chicago, the galaxy far, far away, and a variety of other primetime television. Will not time travel and can cite multiple TV shows to explain why. She does, however, want to believe that she can sneak references to The X-Files into daily conversation (and author bios).