Cara Dune might be one of the most polarizing characters in Star Wars history. Not even Jar Jar or Mae and Osha caused as much fuzz among fans as Gina Carano’s Cara Dune character in The Mandalorian. From the beginning, fans were split on what to think about Cara – and that only got worse once Disney parted ways with Carano.
Disney’s Messy Divorce With Gina Carano
The story of Disney’s messy divorce with Gina Carano encompasses an ongoing legal dispute where neither party wants to relent. The separation came at the worst possible time for Disney. In 2020, Disney was reportedly working on a Cara Dune solo series in the same spirit as The Mandalorian; that’s how much faith the House of Mouse put in the character.
However, as we all know, Carano’s “spicy” social media posts were unacceptable to Disney’s ethics department, prompting the swift termination of her contract. In Season 3 of The Mandalorian, we learn that Cara has been recruited by special forces, leaving the door open for her potential return.
That said, it’s very unlikely that Disney and Carano would work together in the future. So, what will happen with Cara Dune?
Disney’s Approach To Handling Cara Dune’s Departure
Cara started as a fairly popular character in The Mandalorian. Sure, there was some pushback from some fans after seeing her easily defeat Din, but it fit her character in the overall narrative. Still, when it was time for her to leave the show, it was almost surprising to know that Disney would not seek a replacement right away.
The reality is that the House of Mouse was likely trying to ease the potential damage of Carano’s termination. If they suddenly announced a new actress for Cara, it could have been used as ammo for Carano’s camp in the ongoing legal battle.
Pretending Cara’s character simply vanished seemed like the best course of action at the moment. She was a fan-favourite character that much is true – but she still wasn’t a headliner for The Mandalorian. That said, things took an interesting turn when the show announced that Cara was still around.
The Challenge Of Replacing Gina Carano’s Cara Dune
As controversial as Gina Carano might be, there’s no denying that she is Cara Dune. In the same way that Carano was the only actress who could have played Angel Dust in Deadpool, replacing her in any Star Wars show would be no easy feat. Fans would immediately notice something was off if a new face suddenly showed up claiming to be Cara.
Disney is at a crossroads with Cara Dune. Their skirmish with Carano turned the character into cinematic Kryptonite for the company, so it wouldn’t be too surprising to hear they pulled a Poochie with her. Carano might not be replaceable, but Cara’s character surely is – there’s no shortage of strong female characters in this new chapter of the Star Wars universe.
For now, Disney might opt to keep Carano and Cara away from the Star Wars discourse. The fact that Cara was mentioned in Season 3 might foreshadow her return, but, in all honesty, it feels more like a way to find closure for her character. The sad truth is that, at this point, it might already be too late for Cara Dune to return to The Mandalorian.
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Tell us, do you think Disney should have recast Gina Carono’s Cara Dune in the Star Wars universe?
The Mandalorian |
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The travels of a lone bounty hunter in the outer reaches of the galaxy, far from the authority of the New Republic. |
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| Creator: Jon Favreau |
| Cast: Pedro Pascal, Chris Bartlett, Katee Sackhoff, Carl Weathers, Giancarlo Esposito, Gina Carano, Taika Waititi, Temuera Morrison |
| Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy |
| Number of Seasons: 3 |
| Streaming Service: Disney+ |
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