Joel McHale is joining the hunt for the truth out there. The Community leading man is the first actor signed for a guest starring stint on Fox’s new six-episode installment of The X-Files, which reunites original stars David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson. McHale will play Tad O’Malley, the anchor of a popular conservative Internet news network who becomes an unlikely ally for Fox Mulder (Duchovny).

In addition to Duchovny and Anderson, back in their signature roles as FBI Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, McHale also is joining original cast member Mitch Pileggi, reprising his role as Walter Skinner. The new X-Files chapter, shepherded by series’ creator Chris Carter, will launch behind Fox’s coverage of the NFC championship game in January. 20th Century Fox TV and Ten Thirteen Productions are producing.

While McHale is probably best known for his comedic turns on Community, which just wrapped its sixth season on Yahoo, as host of E!’s The Soup and as a touring standup, he has done dramatic episodic work early in his career and had an arc on FX’s Sons Of Anarchy. I hear he was interested in another drama stint, and Carter was a fan of his, leading to the guest casting.

McHale, repped by WME, next is host of the 2015 ESPYS in July.