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Whenever The Mandalorian Season 3 premieres on Disney+, it’ll be without a familiar face. On Wednesday night, Lucasfilm announced that Gina Carano, who played Cara Dune, was no longer employed at the company and stated that her recent social media posts “denigrating people based on their cultural and religious identities are abhorrent and unacceptable.” So Carano’s time in the Star Wars franchise is over, but less than two full days later, not only has Carano responded to her firing, she also revealed that she’s landed a new project.
Gina Carano is collaborating with conservative news outlet The Daily Wire to develop, produce and star in an upcoming movie that will be released exclusively to the Wire’s members and will help “bolster” the website’s entertainment division. No plot details about this project were revealed, but it will be part of the Wire’s partnership with Bone Tomahawk producer Dallas Sonnier and his Bonfire Legend production company. Here’s what Carano told Deadline about the next chapter of her career:
The Daily Wire is helping make one of my dreams — to develop and produce my own film — come true. I cried out and my prayer was answered. I am sending out a direct message of hope to everyone living in fear of cancellation by the totalitarian mob. 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. They can’t cancel us if we don’t let them.
Although Gina Carano had popped up in blockbuster movies like Fast & Furious 6 and Deadpool, playing Cara Dune in The Mandalorian marked her most high-profile role yet. A former Rebel shock trooper who hailed from Alderaan and became a mercenary after the destruction of the second Death Star, Cara first crossed paths with Pedro Pascal’s Din Djarin in the Season 1 episode “Chapter 4: Sanctuary,” and while they didn’t immediately get off on the right foot, they eventually became allies. Cara returned for the final two episodes of The Mandalorian Season 1, and stuck around as a recurring character in Season 2, during which time she not only helped Mando out of a few more jams, but also started working as a Marshal for the New Republic.
However, starting in summer 2020, Gina Carano started grabbing attention for her controversial social media posts, which included sharing voter fraud conspiracies and being accused of transphobia. The controversy hit an all-time high earlier this week when she shared a post that compared being a conservative in the United States to being Jewish during Nazi Germany’s regime. This was evidently the final straw not just for Lucasfilm, but also the UTA talent agency, which dropped Carano as a client soon after her firing from The Mandalorian was announced. But now she’s found a new avenue for her acting work by teaming with The Daily Wire, which acquired and premiered its first movie, Run Hide Fight, last month.
The Mandalorian Season 2 ended in a way that could easily keep Cara Dune’s story going, whether it’s in Season 3, the Rangers of the New Republic series or somewhere else. However, as things stand now, it’s unclear if Lucasfilm is searching for a new actress to play Cara, or if the character will simply be dropped. With The Book of Boba Fett being the next Star Wars show on deck and The Mandalorian Season 3 not expected to begin filming until April, there’s plenty of time for Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni and the other creative minds behind the hit Star Wars series for figure out what to do with Cara one way or another.
The Mandalorian Season 3 doesn’t have a premiere date, but once that and more relevant information is revealed, we’ll be sure to let you know. The Book of Boba Fett will drop on Disney+ in December (if you’re not signed for the Mouse House’s streaming service, you can do so with this link), and you can keep track of other Star Wars TV shows and movies on the way with our comprehensive guide.
