Ahead of The Mandalorian season 3, one of the biggest questions concerning the Star Wars show starring Pedro Pascal as the lead was how it was going to explain the absence of Cara Dune (Gina Carano).
The controversy of the actress being fired from the series occurred after she made her last appearance as the character in season 2, having first joined the cast in 2019.
Today, it was revealed that Lucasfilm and the Walt Disney Company have reached a mutual agreement in their legal dispute with Gina following her exit.
Gina, a former MMA fighter, shared the news of the settlement on X, writing: ‘I hope this brings some healing to the force.’
But looking back at her sacking, why was it that Gina, 43, had to step down from her role in the first place?
Here’s what happened.
Why was Gina Carano not cast in The Mandalorian season 3?
Gina’s final appearance in The Mandalorian was in December 2020, when she reprised her role in the second season of the show up until the finale.
In early 2021, the former MMA fighter came under heavy criticism about ‘abhorrent and unacceptable’ posts that she made on social media, reportedly comparing being under Republican rule to Nazi Germany and the Holocaust.
In a statement released by Lucasfilm in 2021, it was confirmed that Gina had been axed from the role.
‘Gina Carano is not currently employed by Lucasfilm and there are no plans for her to be in the future,’ it read.
‘Nevertheless, her social media posts denigrating people based on their cultural and religious identities are abhorrent and unacceptable.’
It was also reported at the time that Gina’s talent agency UTA had dropped her.
Gina’s alleged now-deleted post was said to have read: ‘Jews were beaten in the streets, not by Nazi soldiers but by their neighbors…. even by children.
‘Because history is edited, most people today don’t realize that to get to the point where Nazi soldiers could easily round up thousands of Jews, the government first made their own neighbors hate them simply for being Jews.
‘How is that any different from hating someone for their political views?’
Prior to the controversy that led to her firing, Gina was criticised for mocking people who wore face masks to protect themselves during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Deadpool star also reportedly backed false claims of voter fraud during the US presidential election.
What is Gina’s settlement with Disney?
Gina’s legal agreement was confirmed to Variety by a Lucasfilm spokesperson.
They said: ‘The Walt Disney Company and Lucasfilm are pleased to announce that we have reached an agreement with Gina Carano to resolve the issues in her pending lawsuit against the companies.
‘Ms. Carano was always well respected by her directors, co-stars and staff, and she worked hard to perfect her craft while treating her colleagues with kindness and respect.
‘With this lawsuit concluded, we look forward to identifying opportunities to work together with Ms. Carano in the near future.’
The agreement comes after her case gained support and funding from Elon Musk.
Gina described the settlement as the ‘best outcome for all parties involved’, adding she was ‘excited to flip the page and move onto the next chapter’.
She also thanked Musk, saying she’d never met the tech billionaire but he stepped in to do this ‘Good Samaritan deed for me in funding my lawsuit’.
‘Yes, I’m smiling’, she signed off.
This article was originally published on March 1 2023.
The Mandalorian is available to watch on Disney Plus.
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