MOVIE NEWS – More than two decades have passed since the original run of the iconic sci-fi series The X-Files ended, but fans have never stopped hoping for the return of their favorite characters. Now Robert Patrick, who played FBI agent John Doggett in the show’s final two seasons, has explained why he’s stayed away from the franchise. At the same time, he hinted that he’d love to bring the beloved character back for the upcoming reboot.

Robert Patrick hasn’t ruled out returning to the world of The X-Files, this time for Ryan Coogler’s reboot. The 66-year-old actor, best known as the T-1000 from Terminator 2, portrayed John Doggett during the final two seasons of the original series. While his character was controversial among fans – as he replaced David Duchovny as the male lead – Patrick says Doggett remains the most meaningful role of his career.

Nearly 15 years after the 2002 series finale, Duchovny and Gillian Anderson reprised their iconic roles as Fox Mulder and Dana Scully in the 2016 revival, though Patrick was notably absent. He also didn’t appear in the 2008 film The X-Files: I Want to Believe, but that doesn’t mean his story is over. In a recent interview with ScreenRant, he called Doggett his “favorite character of all time” and said it would be “interesting to see what’s happened” to him since the series ended.

“They’ve never had me back before, because of my schedule,” Patrick explained. “I’ve always been too busy. But that’s the character that’s most dear to my heart, and what I loved about him was that he was a very strong, tough guy, but had a heart of gold. That’s why he’s so dear to me.”

Doggett, a former Marine and detective, joined the FBI after the disappearance and death of his son. He eventually teamed up with Scully on the X-Files unit, and after she was reassigned, he partnered with Monica Reyes (played by Annabeth Gish). Reyes died in the series finale of the eleventh season, but Doggett is still presumed to be alive.

It’s unclear if Coogler intends to bring Patrick back, but he is hopeful about one original star’s return. “I’ve spoken to the great Gillian Anderson,” he said on Last Podcast on the Left. “She’s amazing. She’s incredible. You know, fingers crossed there.”

Anderson told ITV1’s This Morning that she considers Coogler the “perfect person” to reimagine the series and hinted that she might consider a guest appearance. “At some point, if the phone rings, and it’s good, and it feels like the right time — perhaps.”

Little is known about the reboot, but it will likely take place in the same universe as the original series and feature a new, diverse cast. Still, Coogler promised it would preserve the suspense and eeriness fans loved. “I’ve been excited about this for a long time, and I’m fired up to get back to it. Some of those episodes, if we do our jobs right, will be really f—ing scary. We’re gonna try to make something really great, bro, and really be something for the real X-Files fans, and maybe find some new ones.”

Source: MovieWeb