The Mandalorian Execs Explain How Gina Carano’s Departure Affected Season 3

Dave Filoni and Rick Famuyiwa have opened up about the importance of Cara Dune in The Mandalorian and how her lingering presence will be handled in the wake of actress Gina Carino’s forced departure from the show. 

“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,” said Famuyiwa, who directed Episodes 1, 7, and 8 of the upcoming third season of The Mandalorian in an interview with Deadline. 

“It was something that was discussed as we knew it was going to have impact on the show, but at the same time, what has been at the heart of the show are the two characters — Din Djarin and Grogu — so ultimately it felt like a servicing of that, and around the Mandalorians.”

Executive producer Dave Filoni also emphasised the importance of Dune to the development of Pedro Pascal’s protagonist Din Djarin, but noted that there are a multitude of characters “fighting for their screen time.”

“Now Season 3 is mainly dealing with Mandalorians and the Mandalorian saga, the Mandalorian tale,” commented Filoni. “(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 whether fans had requested that Dune return to the series, Filoni responded:  “I get requests across the board for all types of characters. The hardest thing is finding time and space for everyone out there.

“George [Lucas] used to talk about when he was making the prequels, he had so many great characters and they all wanted screen time. How do you do it when your job is to tell the story of Anakin Skywalker? I relate to that.”

Carino’s portrayal of Dune was initially popular with the audience following her debut in Season 1 Episode 4 of The Mandalorian, and the Rebel Alliance soldier was reportedly slated to feature in the spinoff series Star Wars: Rangers of the New Republic.

However, Carano’s popularity tanked after a series of social media posts that were deemed inflammatory and problematic by many. A number of the posts compared her perceived demonization of her political identity as a Republican to the torments faced by Jewish people during the Holocaust.

In others, the actress cast doubt on the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election and spoke out against the wearing of protective masks during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Public backlash from the posts led to Carano being fired from the series and dropped as a client by the United Talent Agency.

“Gina Carano is not currently employed by Lucasfilm and there are no plans for her to be in the future,” said a Lucasfilm representative in the wake of the actress’s dismissal. “Nevertheless, her social media posts denigrating people based on their cultural and religious identities are abhorrent and unacceptable.”

This leaves showrunners with the option of either recasting Cara Dune or simply leaving the character to linger on in the periphery.

Season 3 of The Mandalorian is set to premiere on Disney+ on March 1. Check out this article for a full breakdown of the season schedule and what to expect as Din Djarin undertakes a quest to the planet Mandalore.

Anthony is a freelance contributor covering science and video gaming news for IGN. He has over eight years experience of covering breaking developments in multiple scientific fields and absolutely no time for your shenanigans. Follow him on Twitter @BeardConGamer