Mulder and Scully are perhaps one of the most iconic double acts in the history of television, however, Gillian Anderson has recently confirmed that she will be leaving the role and The X-Files behind after the newest season of the hit sci-fi franchise.
Series creator Chris Carter has offered his take on Anderson's departure and what it will mean for the future of the series in a Reddit AMA:
"For me, the show has always been Mulder & Scully. So the idea of doing the show without her isn’t something I’ve ever had to consider. Was her character given a proper goodbye? I think you will want to sit down and watch the series finale very carefully.”
Fans of the series were stunned when Anderson made the announcement in October saying that season 11 "will be the last" for her. In an interview with TV Insider, the actress reaffirmed her position and expressed a desire to work on other projects such as American Gods and The Fall.
This isn't the first time in the show's history that the duo has been split up, as David Duchovny famously quit as a series regular in the later seasons of the original X-files.
Despite all of this Carter has suggested that the show could continue without Scully, however, it remains to be seen how longtime fans of the series will react to this and nothing has been confirmed for the future of the series at this stage.
The X-Files will return tonight on Fox and will air on channel 5 in the UK.
What do you guys think? Are you sad to see Gillian Anderson leave the series, and could The X-Files possibly continue without Scully?