Controversy continues to swirl over the firing of Gina Carano, the actress and former MMA contender who played the role of Cara Dune in Disney's The Mandalorian. After season 2 of the show aired on Disney Plus, the company announced they would no longer be working with Carano following some incendiary social media posts from her accounts that inspired many fans to call for Disney to fire her.
While it is impossible to know exactly what happened behind closed doors, multiple outlets have reported that Carano's social media activity, where she regularly posted controversial political opinions, including support for the January 6th Capitol Insurrection, had long been a source of contention between her and Disney. Despite having been asked to avoid incendiary posts on her accounts, Carano continued to do so, eventually creating a wave of backlash that inspired Lucasfilm to cut ties for good.
While Disney has not said much on the matter since then, reports did come out that Carano's character would not be recast. Furthermore, it's been reported that a planned spin-off featuring Cara Dune had been canceled before Carano's firing, suggesting that the company had been wary of her public profile for some time. The controversy was brought up yet again, with Disney CEO Bob Chapek making a statement during a shareholder's meeting.
Some have suggested that Disney's decision to fire Carano was based on her personal politics, and therefore amounts to discrimination. Chapek on the other hand, in his statement to shareholders, claimed the decision was not about politics but "values that are universal.” He also reaffirmed the company's commitment to diversity, echoing a previous Lucasfilm statement that suggested Carano's posts "denigrat[ed] people based on their cultural and religious identities."
The statement is rather vague, which is to be expected. While one could easily argue that Carano's controversial social media posts are inherently tied to her political beliefs, it would seem Disney is wary of directly showing themselves to have any sort of political affiliation. Regardless, it seems that there is no regret in the decision and that it is unlikely Carano will ever return to Disney as Cara Dune or otherwise.
Since the firing Carano has only leaned further into her political controversy, declaring herself a victim of 'Cancel Culture' and announcing a collaboration with The Daily Wire, a conservative outlet run by Ben Shapiro, a political pundit who is also no stranger to controversy. Whatever becomes of the whole situation, it seems Star Wars fans will have to hope Cara Dune is someday recast, or simply let the character fade away.
The Mandalorian is now available on Disney Plus.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter