Controversial tweets, a canceled spin-off, and an uncertain future in the "Star Wars"
universe. It's finally clear how "The Mandalorian" is dealing with Cara Dune.
"Star Wars" fans were eagerly awaiting the third season of "The Mandalorian" for what felt like
the longest time. As viewers geared up for the latest adventures of Grogu and Din Djarin, one
particular plot thread continued to dangle in the air, unsolved in the wake of a major controversy.
Cara Dune, played by former MMA star and American Gladiator Gina Carano, was last seen in the second
season of "The Mandalorian." At the time, Cara was seen helping rescue Grogu from Moff Gideon,
played by "Breaking Bad" alum Giancarlo Esposito. She was slated to continue her
work as a marshal for New Republic forces, which would have lent itself easily to a Dune-centered
spin-off. "Rangers of the New Republic," however, will apparently never see the light of day.
Everything changed when Gina Carano was fired by Lucasfilm in February 2021. The firing happened
in the wake of a series of Twitter and Instagram posts, in which she made controversial statements
regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, masking, pronoun usage, and The Holocaust, among other topics.
"I didn't even know what people were talking about. I was just not clued in."
Carano's posts left Dune's fate unresolved, and fan speculation has run rampant ever since.
Viewers have wondered if the character might be killed off or recast. Others thought she may
continue to exist in the ether of the larger "Star Wars" world, alive but never spoken of again.
After months of speculation, fans finally have an answer to their simmering questions. "The
Mandalorian" executive producers, Dave Filoni and Rick Famuyiwa,
have spoken out about Dune's status within the "Mandalorian" world and the "Star Wars" universe.
Speaking ahead of the release of "The Mandalorian" Season 3, Famuyiwa admitted that he and series
creator Jon Favreau approached the subject of Cara Dune's existence carefully, telling Deadline,
"Cara was a big part and continues as a character to be part of the world. It
had to be addressed in the creative and [Jon Favreau] took the time to think about that."
However, they weren't overly concerned about the topic of Dune because the show's two central
characters, Din Djarin and Grogu, are still in place. As Famuyiwa told the publication,
"Ultimately it felt like a servicing of that, and around the Mandalorians."
When asked about Dune's exact whereabouts in the
larger "Star Wars" world, Dave Filoni told Deadline,
"It's a big galaxy and we have many characters in it — many characters are fighting for their
screen time. We'll just have to see as the season unfolds what the adventures are."
Filoni added that Dune was a good character, and while she was vital to Djarin's formative years,
the series is currently concerned with his growth beyond that period of time.
So it appears that there are no plans to revive Dune as a character, but that she
will continue to exist in the general cosmic soup that is the extended "Star Wars" universe.
“I need a marshall.” “What about Marshal Dune?”
“After she brought in Moff Gideon, she was recruited by Special Forces.”
Filoni also noted that something even more important is afoot in "The Mandalorian" Season 3,
as it will be about the Mandalorian world at large. The executive producer told Deadline,
"Now Season 3 is mainly dealing with Mandalorians and the Mandalorian saga, the Mandalorian tale."
It also appears that Din Djarin's world will generally be broadened to include a
larger number of people, including people he's met between adventures, with Filoni teasing,
"[There are] different characters he's met since Bo-Katan [who] take a lot more prominence,
which makes sense where his arc is going, the story of him and Grogu specifically."
When asked if they've gotten requests to bring Cara Dune
back to "The Mandalorian," Filoni told Deadline,
"I get requests across the board for all types of characters. I've been with Star Wars,
it's coming on 20 years. It's a great galaxy. The hardest thing
is finding time and space for everyone out there."
He added that there are so many characters battling for screen time within the universe,
but that the purpose of "The Mandalorian" is to tell the story of Djarin and Grogu. Basically,
it would seem that there are no current plans to use Dune in Season 3. However, it will be
interesting to see if anything transpires in a galaxy far, far away in the near future.