Credit: LucasfilmCara Dune might be making a comeback in the upcoming Star Wars prequel.
It feels like it’s been a long time since Gina Carano’s widely publicized firing from The Mandalorian (2019), which came after the actress shared a tweet in which she compared the treatment of Republican Americans to the persecution of Jewish people during the Holocaust.
While ex-shock trooper Cara Dune’s abrupt exit from the show after the Season 2 finale left fans disappointed, there have been many distractions in the two years since Carano’s departure, with waves of new Star Wars content flooding Disney+.
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We’ve seen a bunch of new live-action shows, such as The Book of Boba Fett (2021), Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022), Andor (2022), and, of course, The Mandalorian Season 3, although the latter features nothing more than a throwaway line explaining Cara Dune’s absence.
There have also been numerous animated shows, from Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 2 to Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi (2022) and Star Wars: Visions Volume 2 to Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures (2023).
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And then there were all the announcements during this year’s Star Wars Celebration on May 4th, which included three upcoming theatrical films: one from director James Mangold that revolves around the “Dawn of the Jedi,”; a Sequel-era film from Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy; and a “Mando-Verse” crossover film with Dave Filoni in the director’s chair.
Needless to say, a lot is going on in the faraway galaxy right now. They say time heals all wounds, so between that and all the new Star Wars content, many fans have forgotten all about Gina Carano and her character, Cara Dune.
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This is probably what Disney and Lucasfilm were hoping for. After all, firing Carano from The Mandalorian likely wasn’t an easy choice, especially given how popular her character was with fans. However, as Season 3 went on, fans barely noticed her absence.
This may have had something to do with how controversial that season was, whether it was some of the bizarre cameos (Jack Black and Lizzo) or the paper-thin storytelling and overall structure. Nevertheless, it’s a shame that Cara Dune is seemingly no more.
Will Gina Carano return?
It’s highly unlikely Gina Carano will ever return to Star Wars. The actress was fired back in January 2021 for sharing the latest in a line of controversial tweets. As such, Disney and Lucasfilm saw fit not to renew Carano’s contract, despite plans for her to lead the live-action series Star Wars: Rangers of the New Republic, which is seemingly no longer in development. But this doesn’t mean Cara Dune can’t make a comeback.
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Will Cara Dune return?
There’s absolutely no reason why Cara Dune can’t return to Star Wars in some capacity. After all, characters are recast all the time, whether it’s in Star Wars or any other major franchise. What’s particularly odd about Dune, though, is how Disney and Lucasfilm pulled all of her action figures after Carano was fired (they’re available again now, though). As such, it seems they want nothing to do with the character going forward.
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Star Wars Outlaws
Upcoming Star Wars prequel
Despite the “bad blood” between Lucasfilm and Carano, reinstating Cara Dune would likely go down well with Star Wars fans. In fact, there’s one upcoming Star Wars installment in which she may appear. The open-world game Star Wars Outlaws (2023), which is due for release next year, takes place between Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Star Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi (1983) — or six years before The Mandalorian — a period that finds the galaxy teeming with criminal activity.
The upcoming Star Wars prequel follows scoundrel, smuggler, and outlaw Kay Vess (Humberly González), and some iconic Star Wars characters have already been confirmed to appear. While ex-shock trooper Cara Dune is hardly iconic, it wouldn’t be out of place to see her show up in a story when the war between the Galactic Empire and the Rebellion is at an all-time high. With that said, she would obviously be portrayed by a new actress.
Let’s look at other upcoming Star Wars installments in which Cara Dune might return.
Ahsoka
There’s very little chance of seeing Cara Dune appear in Ahsoka, but as the series takes place after The Mandalorian Season 3 and focuses on numerous rebels, it’s not out of the question. Who wouldn’t want to see Dune team up with Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson), Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), and Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo)?
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Mando-Verse movie
A theatrical Mando-Verse film is currently in development, with Dave Filoni attached as director. Ideally, the project will reunite several characters from the Mando-Verse shows (The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, and Ahsoka), including Cara Dune. But this would be tricky, seeing as the character didn’t even appear in The Mandalorian Season 3.
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The Mandalorian Season 4
While there’s no release date for The Mandalorian Season 4, we know it’s happening. Unfortunately, though, seeing Cara Dune return for the fourth season is just as unlikely as having her appear in the Mando-Verse film.
Not only would it seem that Disney and Lucasfilm have swept the character under the rug, Season 3 already replaces her. The series starts with New Republic officer Carson Teva (Paul Sun-Hyung Lee) having already taken over Dune’s role, and in the finale, the new-and-improved IG-11 (Taika Waititi) is declared Nevarro’s new marshal. Is there even room for Dune in Star Wars anymore?
It’s also possible Cara Dune was killed off in Season 3 without fans realizing.
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Andor Season 2
Andor might take place five years before the original Star Wars trilogy, but this doesn’t mean Cara Dune couldn’t show up in Season 2 or beyond. After all, the series revolves around rebels, and it would be interesting to see what Dune was up to before her home world Alderaan was destroyed by the Galactic Empire, as seen in A New Hope.
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Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 3
Going back even further than Andor is the animated series Star Wars: The Bad Batch (2021). Season 1 already introduced a younger version of assassin and bounty hunter, Fennec Shand (Ming-Na Wen), so having a younger Cara Dune enter the fold is not out of the question. Like Outlaws, an animated series could serve as a good testing ground to have a new actress take on the role of Dune before seeing them in live action.
Star Wars Outlaws will be released some time next year. There’s a new behind-the-scenes feature that was unveiled at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con.
Check out Star Wars Outlaws‘ official gameplay walkthrough below:
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Check out the trailer for Star Wars Outlaws below:
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As per Ubisoft, here’s the synopsis for the game:
Experience the first-ever open-world Star Wars game, set between the events of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Explore distinct planets across the galaxy, both iconic and new. Risk it all as Kay Vess, a scoundrel seeking freedom and the means to start a new life, along with her companion Nix. Fight, steal, and outwit your way through the galaxy’s crime syndicates as you join the galaxy’s most wanted.
If you’re willing to take the risk, the galaxy is full of opportunity.
Star Wars Outlaws will release on PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S in 2024.
There are numerous other Star Wars projects in development.
Do you think Cara Dune might show up in the upcoming Star Wars prequel? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!