Could Gina Carano return to 'Star Wars' after 'Mandalorian' firing?

Brendan Morrow, USA TODAYThu, April 30, 2026 at 12:50 PM UTC

0

Has Gina Carano taken her first step back into the world of "Star Wars"?

The MMA star, who sued Disney for wrongful termination after being dropped from the "Star Wars" show "The Mandalorian" in 2021, has revealed she had a chat with the producers of the series earlier this year. She also shared where she stands with her former costar Pedro Pascal.

Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Carano confirmed she spoke with "The Mandalorian" creator Jon Favreau, as well as Lucasfilm chief creative officer Dave Filoni, on a Zoom call in January.

"I think it was, 'Let's touch base,'" Carano said. "Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni were two people that I always respected, and we went through two seasons together, and we had a great relationship. And even during everything that was happening, Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau were never the bad guys to me."

Gina Carano as Cara Dune in "The Mandalorian."

Carano declined to say whether they discussed the possibility of her returning to "Star Wars" on the call.

"I won't really disclose any of that, but I will say that for me, it was an important conversation. To Zoom, to see each other, to mend whatever, to make sure everybody was good," she told THR. "And everybody was good."

USA TODAY has reached out to Lucasfilm for comment.

Gina Carano settles lawsuit with Disney, Lucasfilm over 'Mandalorian' firing

Gina Carano hasn't spoken with 'Mandalorian' costar Pedro Pascal in years

Carano also shared that she has not spoken with Pascal in more than two years. They last touched base in February 2024, after the death of their "Mandalorian" costar Carl Weathers. "Me and Pedro don't keep in touch," she said in the interview.

Advertisement

Carano starred opposite Pascal as former Rebel Alliance trooper Cara Dune in the first two seasons of "The Mandalorian." But in 2021, Lucasfilm confirmed there were "no plans for her to be" employed by the company going forward after she drew criticism for sharing a social media post comparing the treatment of conservatives in the United States to Jewish people during the Holocaust.

At the time, Lucasfilm said Carano's "social media posts denigrating people based on their cultural and religious identities are abhorrent and unacceptable." Carano later maintained that "nowhere did I say Republicans were being treated like Jews in the Holocaust" and said the intent behind the meme she shared was, "Don't let the government pit you against each other or history tells us that could go wrong."

In 2024, Carano sued Disney for wrongful termination, alleging she was fired because she "dared voice her own opinions" and defy the "online bully mob." Disney, in a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, said it had a "constitutional right not to associate its artistic expression with Carano's speech" and that the actress' "decision to publicly trivialize the Holocaust by comparing criticism of political conservatives to the annihilation of millions of Jewish people — notably, not 'thousands' — was the final straw."

Gina Carano as Cara Dune in "The Mandalorian."

Carano ultimately settled with Disney in August 2025. At the time, Carano called this the "best outcome for all parties involved," while Lucasfilm said that "we look forward to identifying opportunities to work together with Ms. Carano in the near future."

Gina Carano says Disney 'bullied' her after controversial posts: 'I'm going to go down swinging'

Carano's "Star Wars" character was not permanently written off "The Mandalorian" after the actress was fired. Cara Dune simply stopped appearing on the show, leaving the door open for a return down the line.

The comments come less than a month before "The Mandalorian" will make the jump to the big screen on May 22 with "The Mandalorian and Grogu," a feature film based on the series. Meanwhile, Carano is gearing up for a fight with Ronda Rousey, which will stream live on Netflix on May 16.

Contributing: Edward Segarra, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Gina Carano reveals chat with 'Mandalorian' producers after firing

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Entertainment”