Star Wars director Rick Famuyiwa opened up for the first time about Gina Carano's absence as Cara Dune in Season 3 of The Mandalorian.
Lucasfilm’s flagship Disney+ show will continue into Season 3 in March without Gina Carano, who was let go from the series in early 2021 after numerous controversial comments on social media.
There are also no plans to bring her Cara Dune back into the Star Wars universe after starring in seven episodes from Mando's first two seasons, and she's reportedly been removed from all of her future appearances in other shows as well.
Of course, with her role being so vital in the first two seasons of The Mandalorian, fans are now wondering exactly how her absence will be dealt with and how Din Djarin and Grogu's story will progress without Carano.
The Mandalorian Continues Without Gina Carano
Speaking with Deadline, Star Wars director Rick Famuyiwa and executive producer Dave Filoni spoke for the first time about Gina Carano's firing from The Mandalorian after playing the role of Cara Dune in the series' first two seasons.
While Dune is still "part of the world" off-camera, Famuyiwa explained that the character came up often in discussions with show creator Jon Favreau and Filoni, making it clear that Din Djarin and Grogu are still "at the heart of 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. 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."
When asked if Dune is simply out in the universe bounty hunting, Filoni explained that there are so many characters to touch on, but he called Dune "a great character" and someone "who was vital to Din Djarin's beginnings:"
"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, but it’s a great character, someone who was vital to Din Djarin’s beginnings; we’ll see if he has evolved beyond that."
Filoni moved further into Season 3 by touching on how many Mandalorians will play a part in the story, noting that there are characters that "take a lot more prominence" when it comes to Mando and Grogu's story:
"Now Season 3 is mainly dealing with Mandalorians and the Mandalorian saga, the Mandalorian tale. (There’s) 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 called for Gina Carano to return, Filoni simply said "it's a great character" and explained how many requests he gets "for all types of characters" in the story. And while he didn't name Carano specifically, he explained that the hardest part of it is "finding time and space for everyone out there" in the narrative:
"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. George (Lucas) used to talk about when he was making the prequels, he had so many great characters and they all wanted to screen time. How do you do it when your job is to tell the story of Anakin Skywalker? I relate to that."
Gina Carano Situation Still Difficult for Star Wars
Rick Famuyiwa and Dave Filoni haven't had an easy time handling the situation with Gina Carano, as the company was forced to write out a pivotal supporting character from a quickly expanding story. She's even seen support from a couple of her co-stars over the past few years, although Lucasfilm appears to be set on leaving Cara Dune behind after Carano's controversial actions.
This becomes even more difficult as Famuyiwa and Filoni have gotten requests from a number of fans to bring Dune back, with her character last seen in Chapter 16 as Mark Hamill made his highly-celebrated return as Luke Skywalker.
Without Carano, Season 3 will look to further expand the story and delve deeper into Star Wars' past, including bringing the narrative to Coruscant from the prequel trilogy while also making Mandalore a huge part of the entire season.
There will also be plenty of other huge reveals that remain hidden in the shadows for the time being, hopefully helping to give fans something new and exciting to celebrate as Cara Dune moves into off-screen adventures.
The Mandalorian Season 3 will premiere on Disney+ on Wednesday, March 1.
