It’s been nearly two decades since The X-Files: I Want to Believe hit theaters, marking the second—and so far final—feature film in the long-running sci-fi franchise. Released in 2008 and directed by series creator Chris Carter, the film reunites Mulder and Scully as the FBI drags them back into the field after a former priest claims to be receiving psychic visions tied to a missing agent.

Originally conceived as a standalone “monster-of-the-week” style story, the film arrived a full ten years after 1998’s The X-Files movie, which was a box office success with $189 million worldwide. In contrast, I Want to Believe underperformed with just $69 million, effectively sending the franchise back to television—at least until its later small-screen revival.

While the home media release included a few minutes of additional footage, fans have never seen a true director’s cut—until now, possibly. Chris Carter has recently been teasing a long-discussed alternate version of the film, and it may be quietly arriving on Disney+ this June.

A Disney+ press release listing June 2026 additions includes a surprising entry:

The X-Files: I Want to Believe – Director’s Cut | Bonus Feature (June 11, 2026)

The listing suggests the long-rumored cut could finally surface on streaming, though the exact form remains unclear.

Carter previously discussed the project on the Fail Better With David Duchovny podcast, revealing that this version restores his original vision for the film—one that leaned far more heavily into horror.

“I just got the go ahead to do a Director’s Cut of I Want to Believe. I can’t tell you how excited I am about this,” Carter said. “I made it too scary, basically… and I was told so by the brass at Fox, and they wanted a PG-13 movie. So we cut it back… The critics said, ‘No, it’s not a PG-13 yet, you’ve got to cut it back even farther.’”

Carter explained that this new version represents the film he originally intended to release. “Now I have a chance to go back and make the scary movie that I always intended to make. It’s not just doing a Director’s Cut to do a Director’s Cut—it’s bringing to life something that was on the page and never got to the screen.”

The Disney+ listing labeling it as a “Bonus Feature” has sparked speculation that the new cut may be attached to the original theatrical version rather than released as a standalone title—though it’s also possible this is just an early tease ahead of a full rollout.

Either way, the truth is out there… again.

And if that wasn’t enough, Ryan Coogler’s upcoming The X-Files reboot series is also reportedly on the horizon.