Will The CSM Appear In 'The X-Files' Reboot?

Although his death was strongly implied in the 2002 series finale, the latest trailer shows that the Cigarette Smoking Man will be in The X-Files reboot. This immediately led to speculation that the show's primary villain is very much alive, and will continue to antagonize Mulder throughout the 2016 miniseries. And, we learned more about his presence during the Oct. 10 screening of the premiere episode at New York Comic-Con. Warning: there are spoilers ahead for the episode "My Struggle," which will air on January 24, 2016.

In the series finale "The Truth," Mulder and Scully traveled to New Mexico to meet with the Cigarette Smoking Man. He was shown to be in extremely poor health, and informed the pair that aliens would invade and colonize the earth in the year 2012. (I marked my calendar, but nothing happened.) Shortly after this revelation, it was implied that he was killed by a rocket shot from a helicopter. But, apparently neither years of chain smoking nor a rocket attack are enough to kill off this iconic villain. As "My Struggle" came to an end, he was shown to apparently be alive, so no, it seems he won't just be featured on The X-Files in flashbacks or some other way.

Sure, we love to hate this character — but I'm glad he's back because his presence will add plenty of drama and tension as Mulder and Scully begin to investigate the governmental conspiracy to fake alien sightings and abductions. Plus, we learned in Season 9 that he's Mulder's biological father — so that's sure to add another layer to Mulder's emotional struggles during this revival. It was never confirmed whether the CSM is also the father of Samantha, Mulder's abducted sister, but perhaps we'll learn the answer to that question as well.

The Cigarette Smoking Man's return is bad news for Mulder and Scully — but it's good news for fans. And, who knows? Maybe he'll finally be destroyed by the time the revival is over.

Images: Fox; Giphy