Gina Carano is done as Cara Dune, and The Mandalorian is done with Cara Dune. But that doesn't mean Star Wars is necessarily done with Cara Dune.
After LucasFilm fired Carano in the wake of a series of "abhorrent" social media posts that trafficked in transphobia, anti-semitism, and sedition-stoking sentiment, speculation ran rampant regarding what that meant for the Mandalorian character, a tough-as-nails mercenary who becomes allies with Pedro Pascal's Mandalorian and Grogu, The Child. But now, a Hollywood Reporter piece has revealed more behind-the-scenes details about Carano's ousting. And it seems like Cara Dune might return to the Star Wars universe — though not in The Mandalorian — played by a different actor.
Remember Disney Investor Day, back in December 2020? Carano was planned to have appeared in that presentation with Kathleen Kennedy, where the two would announce 10 new Star Wars shows including Rangers of the New Republic, which likely would have starred Carano as Cara Dune. Instead, as a source said, "she was originally in that presentation when they announced all those things, and they pulled her off of it." Even months before her actual firing, her posts were causing enough controversy to cause Disney to preemptively act as much as they could. LucasFilm had been constantly warning her (even Pascal stepped in to teach Carano why her making fun of pronouns was so harmful), and the decision to ultimately fire her came swiftly from the top, without need to check in with Mandalorian creator Jon Favreau. "She knew it was going to alarm people," said one source, and alarm people it did.
As for Carano, she now has a film deal with Ben Shapiro, a fellow media figure who is notorious for ignorant and harmful social media posts. When announcing this deal to produce and star in a motion picture, Carano alluded, quite publicly and of her own volition, to being the victim of "cancellation by the totalitarian mob," saying "I have only just begun using my voice which is now freer than ever before, and I hope it inspires others to do the same." And as for Cara Dune, sources say she will likely be recast in the Star Wars universe "for both story and merchandising reasons," though Hasbro action figures of Cara Dune with Carano's likeness have already ceased production.
It's unsure when this recasting will take place, and if this new actor will indeed star in Rangers of the New Republic as Cara Dune. But if LucasFilm needs any ideas, well hey, here's 15!