Los Angeles, CA – May 17, 2024 – Lucasfilm and actress Gina Carano have reached a settlement following her 2021 firing from the Disney+ series “The Mandalorian,” resolving a lawsuit alleging wrongful termination and discrimination. The terms of the settlement remain confidential.
Carano, 41, played Cara Dune, a former Rebel shock trooper, in the first two seasons of the popular space western. Her dismissal stemmed from social media posts deemed offensive by Lucasfilm, a subsidiary of Disney. The lawsuit, filed in February 2024 in Los Angeles County Superior Court, claimed the firing violated CaliforniaS Fair Employment and Housing Act, alleging discrimination based on her political views.
The controversy began in February 2021 when Carano shared posts on X (formerly Twitter) that compared the political divide in the United States to the persecution of Jews in Nazi Germany. She also faced criticism for downplaying the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic and questioning the integrity of the 2020 presidential election. Lucasfilm later announced her removal from “The Mandalorian” and stated she would not be recast.
Carano’s legal team argued that Lucasfilm’s actions where a direct response to her conservative political beliefs, and that the company had a pattern of tolerating differing viewpoints from other actors.The lawsuit cited examples of other actors expressing political opinions without facing similar repercussions.
Prior to her role on “The Mandalorian,” Carano was a professional mixed martial artist, competing in Strikeforce and the UFC from 2006 to 2009. Her record stands at 7-1. She transitioned to acting in 2013 with a role in the action film “Haywire.”
The settlement concludes a closely watched case that raised questions about the boundaries of free speech and political expression in the entertainment industry. The case garnered notable attention from conservative media outlets and political figures, who framed Carano’s firing as an exmaple of “cancel culture.”
Lucasfilm is currently developing a feature film continuing the story of “The Mandalorian,” titled “The Mandalorian & Grogu,” starring Pedro Pascal and Sigourney Weaver. the film is scheduled for release in May 2026. the character of Cara Dune will not be included in future installments.
