Gina Carano’s Star Wars lawsuit settlement leaves door open for Mandalorian return

Former MMA fighter and actor Gina Carano, Lucasfilm, and the Walt Disney Company have “have reached an agreement” settling the lawsuit that followed after Carano was removed from her role in the Disney Plus Star Wars series The Mandalorian, a Lucasfilm spokesperson tells Polygon. No details were forthcoming about the agreement, particularly in terms of whether Carano might return to the show, or whether her character, mercenary warrior Cara Dune, might reappear in future Star Wars spin-offs. But the statement Lucasfilm provided to Variety seems carefully worded to suggest they might work together at some future point, but have no current plans on the docket.

That seems significant, because Carano’s lawsuit, funded by Elon Musk, specifically demanded either her reinstatement on The Mandalorian or a significant financial payoff.

Disney fired Carano from the show in 2021 after a series of controversial social-media posts on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram, including posting anti-masking memes in 2020, when COVID-19 protocols were in the news; alleging that Donald Trump lost the 2020 election due to voter fraud; and mocking pronouns in X user bios by adding “boop/bop/beep” to her username. During this period, she periodically complained that fans were bullying her over her beliefs, and her tone on X became alternately belligerent and defensive.

The eventual break with Disney came in response to an Instagram post that equated openly being a Republican online in 2021 with being a Jewish citizen during the Holocaust. She compared the online backlash against her to Jews being “beaten in the streets, not by Nazi soldiers but by their neighbours… even by children.” In response, Disney removed her from the show and issued a statement declaring her social media posts “abhorrent and unacceptable.”

Carano responded with the lawsuit, alleging that other Mandalorian stars, including series star Pedro Pascal, were allowed to post pro-LBGTQ statements and other political speech without similar consequences, and demanding compensation or reinstatement on the show.

Regarding the settlement, a Lucasfilm spokesperson tells Polygon, “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.”

Carano responded by posting on X, “… and the truth shall set you free.” For the moment, no more information has been forthcoming, but given Carano’s periodic updates on social media about the progress of her lawsuit, we can likely expect more from her in the months to come, whether or not we ever see more from Cara Dune.