In an episode aptly titled “Jump the Shark” from the final season of The X-Files, the Lone Gunmen a.k.a. John Fitzgerald Byers (Bruce Harwood), Richard Langly (Dean Haglund), and Melvin Frohike (Tom Braidwood) all died horrible deaths as they sacrificed themselves to save innocent lives.
But if the Cigarette-Smoking Man (William B. Davis) can survive a missile attack hit in The X-Files’ series finale, then bringing the Lone Gunmen back to life should be no problem at all for series creator Chris Carter. And apparently, it wasn’t!
According to a report on Televised Revolution, Haglund told fans in Australia that “Today, they contacted us. We’re shooting July 28. The gunmen are in the final six.”
Related: Watch The New 15-Second Teaser Trailer For The X-Files
During The X-Files’ nine season run on Fox, the Lone Gunmen were very popular supporting characters and loyal allies of Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson). But that popularity fizzled when Fox gave The Lone Gunmen their own TV series which lasted for only a single season in 2001.
IDW’s comic book series The X-Files: Season 10 retconned the deaths of the Lone Gunmen as a hoax, but it’s likely that the events of the comic will be ignored in favor of the TV revival’s new continuity.
The X-Files returns to Fox on Sunday, January 24, 2016 after the NFC Championship game.
X-Files fans, are you happy to have The Lone Gunmen back? Should jimmy Bond (Stephen Snedden) and Yves Adele Harlow (Zuleikha Robinson) also return? Let us know in the comment section below!