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Gina Carano Has Divided ‘Star Wars’ Fans as Much as ‘The Last Jedi’

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Posted on by Rebekah Barton 80 Comments
cara dune the believer

Credit: Lucasfilm/Disney

If you’re a Star Wars fan, you know how polarizing Rian Johnson’s Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi (2017) can be. As a matter of fact, the backlash the movie faced in the Star Wars fan community is probably one of the reasons his trilogy has seemingly been scrapped by Lucasfilm.

gina carano
Credit: Lucasfilm

Related: ‘Mandalorian’ Star Pedro Pascal Supports Gina Carano

Now, though, there’s a new topic polarizing Star Wars fans — and her name is Gina Carano.

Carano plays former mercenary and current New Republic Marshal Cara Dune in The Mandalorian alongside Pedro Pascal (who portrays main character Din Djarin), Ming-Na Wen (who portrays Fennec Shand), Temeura Morrison (who portrays Boba Fett), Giancarlo Esposito (who portrays Moff Gideon), and, of course, Grogu (AKA The Child AKA Baby Yoda).

Thanks to her social media Tweets about a variety of political and social issues — including, primarily, the coronavirus vaccine and face mask wearing — Carano has simultaneously caused the hashtag #FireGinaCarano to trend and garnered support from tens of thousands of fans on each post.

Star Wars fans are notoriously opinionated and Carano’s social media posts are no exception. Today, she clapped back at the backlash with a meme featuring Jedi Master Yoda and a deluge of reactions have surfaced online. Here, we take a look.

Gina Carano Supporters

Twitter user Barry Lee had this to say in response to Carano’s latest post:

I’ve just read some tweets about you and I have to say..I agree with you! We need to stand by our feelings and not let everyone dictate what and how we feel!! We do still have free speech in this country, and we shouldn’t be afraid to express it!! Love ya!!

Richard Rampe wrote:

This is why your [sic: you’re] my favorite

Related: Female Mandalorian Armor Sparks Controversy on Twitter

Kris McIntosh said:

You’re fast becoming my favourite account on Twitter

The support for Gina Carano extends to her other Tweets, as well. Over 38,000 people liked a recent post about COVID-19 vaccinations that also prompted another round of #FireGinaCarano posts.

Gina Carano Backlash

Unsurprisingly, people are once again calling for Disney and Lucasfilm to fire Carano from The Mandalorian after its second season following her latest post, which many seem to feel was posted solely for the sake of starting drama online.

Twitter user Kevin M. posted:

This is what I got from her when I merely posted the hashtag #FireGinaCarano. I NEVER said anything directly to her ever. More than ever I stand by that hashtag.

Gwyneth Mullins shared these thoughts about the situation, which has been dividing Mandalorian fans for almost the entirety of Season 2 at this point:

This would be a great time for literally anyone at @starwars(Lucasfilm) or @Disney to take a stand against the objectively harmful decisions made by Gina Carano. Doing the right thing matters more than protecting a corporate image, and accomplishes both anyway. #FireGinaCarano

Another Tweet thread reads:

Right?!? Like #StarWars is about fighting fascism, not supporting it. #DarkSide is strong in her. 

and

Absolutely! Her views are a contradiction to everything Star Wars is about. #FireGinaCarano

There are thousands of similar posts about the former women’s MMA fighter on both sides. If you are interested in delving further into the controversy regarding Mandalorian star Gina Carano, visit Twitter.

It is also worth noting that, amid all of these people who have strong opinions about Carano one way or the other, there are also those who simply enjoy watching The Mandalorian because Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni have created an amazing series that brings everything most people love about Star Wars to life every week. Many fans don’t care about the opinions of the actors and actresses as long as they are doing a good job on-screen.

What do you think? Which camp do you fall into in regard to actress Gina Carano? Tell us in the comments!

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Rebekah Barton

When she's not planning her next Disney trip, Rebekah can be found spending time with her family, shopping for Lilly Pulitzer, buried in a good book, or doing yoga. She never misses Jeopardy and alternately wishes she lived in Beast's castle or was making the Kessel Run in the Millennium Falcon.

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