Summary
Former star ofThe MandalorianGina Carano has come forward with an update concerning her ongoing legal battle with Disney concerning her firing from the Star Wars show on Disney+, and her statements hint at a substantive development emerging soon.
The Mandalorianwas a big success in spite of its titular protagonist’s stoic and uncommunicative persona early on, in no small part thanks to the show’s stellar supporting cast of interesting characters. One of the most prominent of these was Carano’s Cara Dune, a highly trained and battle-hardened human special forces fighter with a grudge against the Galactic Empire. While this character was insanely popular, and Carano was seen as a real badass thanks to her credentials as a former mixed martial artist, her momentum would come to a screeching halt due to her online activity. Carano would post comments on social media that some users found objectionable, leading tosome fans petitioning Disney to fire Carano fromThe Mandalorianover those posts.
Carano was officially fired from ‘The Mandalorian’in short order and has since taken up legal action against Disney for what she maintains was wrongful termination based on her personal political views. This has been ongoing for a while, and the actress recently took to social media to give her fans an update on the situation. Taking toher Instagram profile, Carano posted a picture of herself as Cara Dune alongside a caption explaining the current situation. “Just a little update on my lawsuit against Disney/Lucasfilm, @disney @lucasfilm the case continues to move forward and I anticipate having a more substantive update in the next few weeks. We remain determined and my team has been exceptional in honoring the court and respecting the process. I am very proud to have this team. Thank you for all of your continued support. Cara Dune Day yesterday Jan 30th touched my heart. @ginacaranonet. Onward.”
Dune’s battle with the entertainment juggernaut has been predicated on the belief that her firing was a direct result of her expressing political beliefs that the company had decided to persecute, citing the fact that her co-star and show lead onThe MandalorianPedro Pascal had also engaged in similar self-expression with no repercussions. While Disney has not denied that her dismissal was punitive,the company’s CEO maintains that Carano’s firing was motivated by her politicsat all. Instead, the company’s official position was that Carano’s statements violated what executives considered universal values and potentially constituted a breach of the company’s rules around “denigrading people based on their cultural and religious identities.” Fans have been split on the issue, with a lot of people taking issue with her statement and many others either not finding them offensive or being of the opinion that she should have remained on the show regardless.
Legal battles are hardly ever easy to predict, and this one is no exception. It’s undeniable that the character was popular with fans and added a lot toThe Mandalorianwhenever she was on screen, and it was pretty confidently reported at the time thata Cara Dune spinoff was even in the works prior to Carano’s firing. It will be difficult to prove that Carano’s political expression on social media didn’t play a major part in her dismissal, but the crux of the legal issue will likely be about what discretionary powers Disney has more so than proving intent. Carano’s lawsuit has seen some impressive support from Elon Musk, who took an interest in the matter early on and has been credited with urging Carano to take it to court in the first place.
At this point,The Mandalorianhas moved on without Carano’s Cara Dunethrough another season, for better or worse, and it’s nigh impossible that the character will return in any capacity for the show’s theatrical curtain call inThe Mandalorian & Grogu.This was expected, and the lawsuit seems (for both sides) far more about proving a point or setting a precedent than considerations of Carano returning to her role. Fans will have to wait to see how the legal battle proceeds going forward, and if Carano’s update proves to be accurate, then they won’t have to wait much longer for substantial news to break.
