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Credit: LucasfilmIf you watched The Mandalorian Season 2, it was difficult to avoid the online controversy surrounding Cara Dune actress Gina Carano. Carano’s controversial Tweets regarding a variety of social justice and political issues divided fans — opposing hashtags like #FireGinaCarano and #WeLoveCaraDune trended for months — and, now, another Mandalorian actress is coming under fire for similar social media posts.
Related: Gina Carano Convinces Fans She’s Returning to ‘Star Wars’
Mercedes Varnado (WWE Smackdown!, WWE NXT, Wrestlemania) — more often known by her WWE ring name, Sasha Banks — played Mandalorian Nite Owl warrior Koska Reeves in two episodes of the second season of The Mandalorian.
Related: No More Grogu? The Mandalorian Might Get an Exciting New Best Friend
She appeared alongside Star Wars characters Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff) and Axe Woves (Simon Kassianides) in Bryce Dallas Howard’s “Chapter 11: The Heiress” and with Carano’s Cara Dune, Fennec Shand (Ming-Na Wen), Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal), and, of course, Grogu, in the season finale episode, “Chapter 16: The Rescue”.
Now, WWE superstar Banks has come under fire for liking a particular Instagram post that feels like it could incite drama reminiscent of the Gina Carano situation all over again. Banks liked a post by Annis Insights [below] that shared a number of opinions about not receiving the COVID-19 vaccination:
Related: Moff Gideon May Return in ‘Star Wars’ Disney+ Spinoffs
Now, Star Wars fans — and some professional wrestling fans — on social media are asking for the Smackdown women’s champion to be fired from the Star Wars franchise, just like former women’s MMA and Muay Thai fighter Gina Carano was in February 2021.
A Twitter user going by dreamander was frustrated by the pro wrestling star’s online actions, writing:
just found out Sasha Banks is an antivaxxer :/
just found out Sasha Banks is an antivaxxer :/ pic.twitter.com/gNUKERaJVe
— dreamander (@zanysoup) June 26, 2021
Leila noted:
Sasha Banks (Koska Reeves) liked anti-vaccine posts on Instagram. She hasn’t said anything herself, at least, but still
Sasha Banks (Koska Reeves) liked anti-vaccine posts on Instagram. She hasn’t said anything herself, at least, but still
— Leila ? (@taisben) June 27, 2021
Another fan, however, had a different opinion, sticking up for WWE Network star Banks’s right to choose whether or not she wants to be vaccinated:
Leave Sasha Banks alone, if she doesn’t trust or want the shots it’s her body
Leave Sasha Banks alone, if she doesn't trust or want the shots it's her body
— #LetHerIN Alexa Bliss Fan Account (@Era_of_Bliss_2) June 26, 2021
While it is unclear if Banks has already been asked back for The Mandalorian Season 3 or a spinoff series, it seems likely that she could appear again. Although Lucasfilm and Disney have not officially confirmed any cast members except Pedro Pascal, Katee Sackhoff has indicated that both she and Kassianides will return, so it would serve to reason that Banks would also reprise her role as the Darksaber storyline continues.
Related: #FireGinaCarano Goes Wild as Fans React to Capitol Riots
Las Vegas-raised Carano, seemingly, is gone from the Star Wars universe for good — Rangers of the New Republic, the spinoff Cara Dune was expected to lead, has even been put on indefinite hold while production on showrunner Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni’s The Book of Boba Fett, The Mandalorian Season 3, and Ahsoka continues.
Related: Dave Filoni Just Foreshadowed Grogu and The Mandalorian
It will certainly be interesting to see if Banks faces the same fate as Carano, who is the daughter of former Dallas Cowboys quarterback, Glenn Carano.
Related: Transgender Abuse Case Against ‘Star Wars’ Actress Rosario Dawson Dismissed
It is important to remember, though, that the controversy surrounding the Cara Dune actress went on for months before she was let go. It is also worth noting that Carano’s posts were shared to her own social media accounts, whereas, at least at this point, Banks has only liked potentially controversial posts on other pages.
Related: Ahsoka Tano & Boba Fett Share a Wild ‘Star Wars’ Record
At this time, neither The Walt Disney Company nor Lucasfilm have commented on Sasha Banks’s future in the Star Wars franchise.
What are your thoughts on Sasha Banks?