Disney+ Pulls Episodic Appearance of Gina Carano Following 'Mandalorian' Firing

Disney and Lucasfilm have reportedly had to revise new Star Wars productions already in progress [...]

By Michael Hein

Disney and Lucasfilm have reportedly had to revise new Star Wars productions already in progress to remove Gina Carano's character Cara Dune. The shock trooper was an important character in the first two seasons of The Mandalorian on Disney+. Still, Carano was fired shortly after Season 2 aired over her anti-Semitic, transphobic and racist rhetoric. According to a report by Cinema Blend, she must now be removed from other shows and movies.

Dune was meant to be included in other parts of Disney+'s expanding Star Wars slate, including Rangers of the New Republic. Now, she will reportedly be replaced in that series and written out of The Mandalorian. At the same time, Disney is shelving her episode of Running Wild with Bear Grylls on National Geographic. She was originally listed as one of the Nat Geo show celebrity guests but has now been removed. Last, of all, Hasbro has reportedly halted production on Cara Dune action figures, which will presumably go unsold.

All of this stems from Carano's firing last month, following some controversial comments on the 2020 presidential election. She posted a meme saying that being a Republican in the U.S. today is similar to being a Jewish person in Nazi-era Germany — a claim that incensed the families of Holocaust victims and survivors. While this was the comment that finally lost Carano her job, it was far from the first incendiary comment.

Carano's dismissal may have come just as the Star Wars franchise is about to see its biggest resurgence ever. Disney announced plans for a huge slate of new shows and movies in the Star Wars universe back in December, and the franchise is already experiencing a renaissance in comic books and novels. Carano's character was a perfect fit for one of the most interesting new shows, Rangers of the New Republic, but now someone else will have to take her place.

So far, details on Rangers of the New Republic remain scarce, though there are some strong inferences to be made from old Expanded Universe content, as described in a report by Gizmodo. The show is expected to help contextualize the Star Wars galaxy's political situation after the events of Episode VI — Return of the Jedi, along with novels, movies, and other shows like The Mandalorian. It may also slowly reintroduce parts of the Star Wars canon from the Expanded Universe, shelved when Disney bought the franchise.

This is just one of the new Star Wars projects in the pipeline, coming soon to Disney+. So far, the company has not officially announced or commented on her removal from Rangers of the New Republic, Running Wild, or any other productions.

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