Gina Carano’s Mandalorian Character Still Alive In Star Wars Universe?
Mandalorian producer Rick Famuyiwa says Gina Carano's Cara Dune is still alive in the Star Wars universe, but there is not time to tell every individual story.
Gina Carano isn’t returning to The Mandalorian any time soon, but it turns out the same might not be true for her alter ego, Cara Dune. According to ComicBook.com, Mando exec Rick Famuyiwa dropped some hints that the character may still be at large in the greater Star Wars universe. The producer was quoted as saying, “Cara was a big part and continues as a character to be part of the world.”
While Gina Carano’s Dune might still be floating around somewhere in a galaxy, far, far, away, that doesn’t mean the character will be making an appearance in Season 3 of The Mandalorian. Both Famuyiwa and all-around Star Wars guru Dave Filoni have been cagey about when and where Cara will pop up next. Filoni calls Cara Dune “a great character” but says one of his biggest problems is “finding time and space for everyone out there.”
By all accounts, the new season of the Mandalorian will be focused on Pedro Pascal’s Din Djarin and Baby Yoda/Grogu as they deal with the remaining Mandalorians and their place in the galaxy. In other words, Dave Filoni and John Favreau have given themselves a season that works without Dune’s involvement, so they have more time to figure out what to do with the role sans the original actress.
Gina Carano was fired from The Mandalorian in 2021 after several social media posts that were offensive to the Transgender community, the Jewish community, and the African American community (among others). These controversial incidents saw Carano not just fired from The Mandalorian but also dropped by the United Talent Agency. Luckily for Carano, infamous right-wing pundit Ben Shapiro was right there to pick up the pieces.
Shapiro offered the former mixed martial artist a new career, making movies for The Daily Wire. Their first collaboration, the film Terror on the Prairie, was one of the biggest box office losers of 2022. The Gina Carano western made a whopping $804 at the movies, according to IndieWire, not exactly Star Wars numbers.
Cara Dune was first introduced in the first season of the Disney+ series The Mandalorian and instantly became a fan-favorite character. Gina Carano played the ex-Rebel as a tough, no-nonsense mercenary capable of going toe-to-toe with the Mandalorian himself. As Filoni stated, Dune is a great character, and it would be a shame for Lucasfilm not to do something with her.
The character was so popular that Gina Carano was supposed to lead her own Mandalorian spinoff titled Rangers of the New Republic. Sadly, due to Carano’s controversial statements, Rangers has been removed from active development at Lucasfilm. If Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni do recast Cara Dune, it’s possible that Rangers of the New Republic could be pulled out of mothballs and put back into production.
For now, Cara Dune fans will have to settle for a third season of the Mandalorian that may or may not mention the character. The new season is dropping on March 1 on Disney+, and while we don’t know whether Cara Dune will make an appearance, we do know one thing, Gina Carano won’t be anywhere near her if she does.
