It seems a return to Star Wars could be in the cards for Gina Carano following what she said was a “really nice” conversation with Lucasfilm.
The MMA fighter-turned-actor spoke about her controversial past and return to the spotlight during a recent interview with sports journalist Ariel Helwani. The conversation saw her talk about her upcoming fight with Ronda Rousey and the events that led to her being fired from the galaxy far, far away.
Carano joined Star Wars as Cara Dune in The Mandalorian Season 1 and stuck around for Season 2 before abruptly leaving the show in 2021. Lucasfilm had chosen to remove her from the spinoff story’s plot following social media posts that saw her comparing the persecution of Jewish people in Nazi Germany to being a modern-day Republican.
Gina Carano. Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/WireImage.
Her actions were enough to spawn a #FireGinaCarano campaign before she was quickly fired, with Lucasfilm saying, at the time, that there were “no plans” for her to be employed in the future. The Star Wars company added that “her social media posts denigrating people based on their cultural and religious identities are abhorrent and unacceptable.” Carano eventually responded with a lawsuit funded in part by Elon Musk in 2024. A settlement was later reached in 2025.
“With this lawsuit concluded,” a Disney representative said in a statement to Variety, “we look forward to identifying opportunities to work together with Ms. Carano in the near future.”
It seems the near future could be closer than many expected, as Carano said she’s already spoken with Lucasfilm leads Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau. Details about the conversation or why it happened in the first place remain a mystery, but Carano teases that it was “really nice.”
“Who invites you back? Is there one person?” Carano said regarding her career following the controversy. “I’ve already had a conversation with Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau. Really lovely. After we settled the lawsuit, we got on a Zoom call. It was really nice. Dave Filoni is taking over CEO of Star Wars, and it’s like we didn’t even miss a beat. Jon Favreau was really funny. He got on the Zoom and was like, ‘So, where did we leave off?’ We hadn’t spoke for a while.”
Carano will return to the ring to fight Rousey May 16 but has largely remained out of the spotlight since leaving The Mandalorian. Her most notable role since has seen her lead Terror on the Prairie, a 2022 film distributed and produced by conservative media company The Daily Wire.
The Mandalorian eventually returned without Carano for Season 3 in 2023. In lieu of a fourth season, a movie titled Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu is set to premiere May 22, 2026. It’s unclear if a proper Season 4 will ever materialize or if Carano will be attached.
Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/WireImage.
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
