3 Bizarre Details From Gina Carano's 'Mandalorian' Firing
On today's episode of public figures realizing their actions gasp have consequences, Gina Carano, a.k.a. Cara Dune on Disney+'s The Mandalorian has been fired from LucasFilm after sharing a post on her Instagram story comparing the treatment of Jewish people during World War II to the way Republicans are regarded in the United States. Yikes. Although removed by either Instagram's 24-hour story time limits or some crumb of retroactive self-awareness, the post has been immortalized on Twitter, as calls mounted for her to be axed from the hit Star Wars series under the hashtag #FireGinaCarano.
Amid this blowback, Lucasfilm, the Disney-owned production company behind the famed series, issued a statement on the matter, discussing the status of her employment and condemning her offensive language. "Gina Carano is not currently employed by Lucasfilm and there are no plans for her to be in the future," the statement read. "her social media posts denigrating people based on their cultural and religious identities are abhorrent and unacceptable."
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However, that's only the tip of the iceberg. From a canceled spinoff to her long-running tension with Lucasfilm, here are the three strangest overlooked details from the whole debacle.
1. Carano had previously made some cringe-worthy comments about the 2020 election, public health guidelines, and baseless conspiracy movements.
Apparently spewing unfounded nonsense surrounding America's democratic process isn't reserved for famously flatulent Borat 2 star, Rudy Giuliani. In the days following Joe Biden's win, which fairly cemented him as the 46th president of the United States, Carano took to Twitter with a statement questioning the validity of the election. "We need to clean up the election process so we are not left feeling the way we do today," Carano wrote two days after last November's presidential election. "Put laws in place that protect us against voter fraud. Investigate every state. Film the counting. Flush out the fake votes. Require ID. Make Voter Fraud end in 2020. Fix the system," she continued, adding an American flag emoji.
Fans seemingly weren't too pleased to learn Carano's views on the matter, taking to the platform to share their disappointment with the star.
"You went from a strong woman I wanted to see more of in Star Wars and life, to a crazed, hateful fearmonger in the span of 6 months," user @flopcardboard replied. "I feel so sad for you and what you could have had, but you chose to ignore compassion and humanity."
"So you're not just an idiot racist you're also completely uninformed," added @tomofromearth "Got it. Everything your dumb ass just listed already happens. Fascism lost. Again. Let it go baby. Let it go."
Just days later, the star also posted a tweet mocking individuals who wear masks to slow the spread of Coronavirus, per the CDC's guidance. Ugh.
Aside from using her platform of more than 718,000 followers to spread misinformation about the election and anti-masker content, Carano has also used the controversial hashtag #SaveTheChildren in several previous posts, which is typically associated with QAnon, a baseless far-right conspiracy alleging that prominent democrats orchestrate a satanic child sex trafficking ring.
2. Lucasfilm allegedly canceled a pending spinoff due to her comments on the election and mask-wearing.
It seems fans weren't the only ones peeved about Carano's problematic remarks. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Lucasfilm had plans to unveil a Mandalorian spinoff centering around Cara Dune, in which Carano would continue her role as the ex-Rebel shock trooper, one of several upcoming offshoots from the show's executive producers, Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau. The announcement, which was set to occur at an "investors day presentation" last December was ultimately scrapped following her decision to tout bogus allegations of voter fraud and dangerous jokes on Twitter.
Furthermore, the publication asserts that the actress could have enjoyed a prominent role in the confirmed spinoff, Rangers of the New Republic, as Dune had become, well, a Ranger of the new Republic in the show.
3. After her comments, Lucasfilm had reportedly been wanting to fire her for some time.
However, the company may have wanted to do more than merely pause the Cara Dune-Centric spinoff. "They have been looking for a reason to fire her for two months, and today was the final straw," an anonymous source familiar with Lucasfilm told the entertainment publication. Although the company has held off on this type of disciplinary action in the past, Carano's antisemitic post took things too far. "After the latest round of social media posts, the decision to cut ties with the actor came swiftly," The Hollywood Reporter noted.
The takeaway?
A popular member of a beloved franchise, Carano could have easily enjoyed a long career in the Star Wars universe. Unfortunately, repeated instances of poor judgment marred her chances of success. Although several conservatives, including Zodiac Killer Ted Cruz have decried the decision as Disney jumping on the cancel culture bandwagon, it's important to remember that accountability is important, especially for an actress portraying a character that may be a role model for several young women and girls.
So, folks, remember, if you want to shine in what may be one of the world's most popular IP franchises, avoid touting conspiracies, jeering public health guidelines, and spewing antisemitic rhetoric. Baby Yoda does not approve.
For more internet nonsense, follow Carly on Instagram at @HuntressThompson_, on Twitch.tv @HuntressThompson_ and on Twitter @TennesAnyone.
