The X-Files star looked back on 30 years with the franchise and dropped a hint about her future. The actress discussed early fan backlash, Chris Carter’s surprising direction for her character, and whether she would join Ryan Coogler’s upcoming Hulu reboot.
Laurie Holden would return to The X-Files reboot if Ryan Coogler comes calling
Laurie Holden told Gold Derby she would happily return as Marita Covarrubias in Ryan Coogler’s upcoming Hulu reboot of The X-Files. “Yeah, I would be game. Of course! It’s Ryan Coogler,” Holden said when asked about a potential comeback. The actress first joined the sci-fi series 30 years ago in the Season 4 premiere, “Herrenvolk.”
Holden recalled that she never expected to land the role in the first place. She had just graduated from UCLA and was on a ski vacation when the audition came through. “I’m not right for this,” she remembered thinking at the time. Her mother convinced her to try out, and Chris Carter offered her the part before she even reached her car.
The character quickly drew backlash from protective fans of the Mulder-Scully dynamic. Many viewers saw Marita as a threat to the beloved pairing. “Don’t you mess with my Scully,” Holden recalled hearing from the fanbase. She now laughs about it and maintains a clear stance. “It’s Mulder and Scully forever!” she said.
Carter shaped Marita’s persona with specific instructions for Holden’s performance. He told her he had modeled the character after Mata Hari, the World War I spy. “He wanted her to be very enigmatic and very cool,” Holden explained. She appreciated that later seasons allowed the character to show vulnerability after the Syndicate turned Marita into their test subject.
The 2016 and 2018 revival seasons did not include Holden in their plans. She acknowledged that Marita’s arc had largely concluded by the Season 9 finale. Still, she believes the character remains active in the show’s universe. “I like to think she’s still in this world, possibly in Europe,” she said.
