Credit: LucasfilmGina Carano‘s Cara Dune in The Mandalorian (2019), a tough, no-nonsense character not dissimilar to the former MMA fighter who brought her to life, quickly became a fan favorite.
However, Carano’s controversial exit from the Star Wars franchise in 2021, when she was famously fired by Disney and Lucasfilm after sharing divisive social media posts, has left fans wondering whether they’ll ever see the character again.
While Carano, 43, is very unlikely to return to the faraway galaxy, especially considering the fact that she has filed a lawsuit against Lucasfilm over her firing, alleging wrongful dismissal and sex discrimination (“Gina Carano v. The Walt Disney Company“ is set to begin in September), the character of Cara Dune may not be quite as dead as we thought.
Though we can probably write off her return to the “Mando-Verse” considering she was unceremoniously written out of the show in The Mandalorian Season 3 after her firing (it half-heartedly explained that she had joined the New Republic Special Forces), that doesn’t necessarily mean that other corners of the franchise are off-limits.
But it’s really the open-world video game “Star Wars Outlaws” that’s most likely to pave the way for her comeback.
The newly announced story pack (or DLC AKA downloadable content) “Star Wars Outlaws: Pirate’s Fortune”, whose teaser was recently unveiled during this year’s Star Wars Celebration (April 18–20), will bring back the fan-favorite character Hondo Ohnaka (the Weequay pirate) from the animated television shows Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) and Star Wars: Rebels (2014), which could serve as a blueprint for Cara Dune’s return.
Given the game’s open-world structure, there’s room for additional story packs that could introduce Cara Dune in some way.
After all, not only is “Pirate’s Fortune” the second story pack following last year’s “Wild Card”, but “Outlaws” takes place between Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Star Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi (1983), just a few years before the point at which The Mandalorian timeline starts.
However, given Carano’s feud with Disney, the character would obviously need to be recast. So, if “Star Wars Outlaws” were to bring back Cara Dune, it would undoubtedly be with a new voice actor, a decision that would stir up its own share of reactions from the fanbase.
Related: ‘Fast and Furious’ Star Could Replace Gina Carano as Cara Dune In ‘The Mandalorian’
Recasting a beloved character–especially in Star Wars— is never an easy task, and Carano’s absence would certainly affect how the character is received. But given the importance of keeping the franchise alive and consistent, it’s not outside the realm of possibility for Disney to continue exploring Cara Dune’s role in the Star Wars universe through other avenues.
Apart from the open-world game, Cara Dune could also make her way into the Star Wars animated shows, which have become increasingly popular in recent years. The likes of The Clone Wars, Rebels, and Star Wars: The Bad Batch (2021) alone have demonstrated that characters can easily be transitioned between live-action and animation.
Disney may choose to recast the character in an animated form, which would allow them to keep the essence of Cara Dune alive, while sidestepping the issues related to Carano’s public persona.
Or maybe they’d rather leave the character to gather dust; a way of erasing the actor’s Star Wars legacy (let’s not forget that, shortly after her firing, all Cara Dune action figures were recalled from retailers, making it impossible for fans to buy one at the time).
Still, in a world where Star Wars continues to expand across various media, the return of Cara Dune remains possible. Whether it’s through a “Star Wars Outlaws” DLC, an animated series, or even a future live-action project, the character’s legacy within the galaxy far, far away might still be far from over.
Would you like to see Cara Dune return to Star Wars? Let us know in the comments down below!