X-Files star puts a hand up for Ryan Coogler’s reboot — 'I would be game'

Right, so here we are in 2026, and the TV nostalgia machine is still alive and well. If you thought The X-Files was done, think again. With Ryan Coogler prepping a new Hulu reboot that everyone keeps whispering about, some of the show's original faces are popping up to say they wouldn't mind jumping back in — if asked nicely enough. Laurie Holden, known for playing the mysterious Marita Covarrubias, is the latest to weigh in, and she sounds quite open to the idea.

Laurie Holden told Gold Derby she would return as Marita in the reboot: 'Yeah, I would be game. Of course! It’s Ryan Coogler.'

Memories From Herrenvolk Onwards

Holden's whole X-Files journey started back in 1996 with the start of Season 4 ('Herrenvolk' for those of you who know your episode titles), which is now nearly thirty years gone. She wasn't expecting to land the part — she was fresh out of UCLA, not long after graduation, halfway through a ski trip, and convinced she wasn't remotely right for a sci-fi bit. If it wasn't for her mother nudging her into auditioning, the whole thing wouldn't have happened. Apparently, Chris Carter offered her the job before she’d even made it out to her car.

As Holden put it, at the time she thought: 'I'm not right for this.'

When Marita did show up, she immediately got a taste of the X-Files fanbase — especially the portion deeply, fiercely protective over Scully and Mulder's will-they-won't-they business. Loads of people made it clear Marita was seen (unfairly, probably) as some sort of interloper. Holden still laughs about getting 'Don’t you mess with my Scully' from fans, and even now insists she stands by the classic duo: it's 'Mulder and Scully forever!'

Spycraft, Syndicates, And Saying Goodbye

As for her character, Carter didn’t want Marita to be a straightforward government desk-jockey. He told Holden he'd based the role on Mata Hari (the infamous WWI spy, if you missed that history lesson), and set strict instructions: Marita had to be enigmatic, untouched, and 'very cool' from the start. Still, the later seasons did let her drop the icy circuit and show real vulnerability, especially once she became a guinea pig for the Syndicate’s tests.

By the time 2016 and 2018 rolled round with the short-lived revival seasons, Marita was nowhere to be found. Holden thinks her story got wrapped up with Series 9's finale, but she fancies the idea that Marita is still out there somewhere, likely living in Europe and dodging conspiracies. Whether the new Hulu series rings her up remains to be seen, but Holden’s definitely left the door open.

• Laurie Holden played Marita Covarrubias from Series 4, first appearing in 1996’s 'Herrenvolk'
• Chris Carter hired her straight after graduation, following her mother’s suggestion to try out
• Marita often drew flak from fans who didn’t want anyone intruding on the Mulder-Scully pairing
• Carter designed Marita with Mata Hari in mind: mysterious, detached, but allowed more depth later
• She was left out of The X-Files returns in 2016 and 2018
• Holden says she sees Marita still alive somewhere in-universe — probably in Europe