The executive producers behind hit Star Wars spinoff series The Mandalorian, Dave Filoni and Rick Famuyiwa, have addressed how the upcoming third season will address the absence of Gina Carano’s fan favorite bounty hunter, Cara Dune. Carano was fired from the show back in 2021 following several controversial comments which she made on social media, with Famuyiwa now revealing in a conversation with Deadline that the character does still exist somewhere out there in the galaxy far, far away.

“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.”

Carano was reportedly due to lead her own Cara Dune spinoff off the back of The Mandalorian, but this project was shut down after the actress and former mixed martial artist was let go by both Disney and her agency. “Gina Carano is not currently employed by Lucasfilm and there are no plans for her to be in the future,” Lucasfilm said in a statement at the time. “Nevertheless, her social media posts denigrating people based on their cultural and religious identities are abhorrent and unacceptable.”
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The Mandalorian Season 3 Will Deal with the Mandalorian Saga, Dave Filoni Says

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While Cara Dune’s name was brought up in the writer’s room, writer and executive producer Dave Filoni backs up the idea that Dune does still exist despite the issues surrounding Gina Carano.

“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.”

Continuing, Filoni states that The Mandalorian Season 3 will be busy dealing with the tale of the Mandalorians.

“Now Season 3 is mainly dealing with Mandalorians and the Mandalorian saga, the Mandalorian tale,” Filoni added. “(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.”

Picking up around five years after the events of Return of the Jedi, the journey of the Mandalorian continues in The Mandalorian Season 3, which finds the once lone bounty hunter, Din Djarin, reuniting with Grogu. Meanwhile, the New Republic struggles to lead the galaxy away from its dark history. The Mandalorian will cross paths with old allies and make new enemies as he and Grogu continue their journey together.

Starring Pedro Pascal as Din Djarin, Katee Sackhoff as Bo-Katan Kryze, Giancarlo Esposito as Moff Gideon, Carl Weathers as Greef Karga, and Emily Swallow as “The Armorer,” as well as the Back to the Future star and acting icon Christopher Lloyd and The Goldbergs star Tim Meadows, the release of The Mandalorian Season 3 is imminent, with the first episode scheduled to premiere on March 1, 2023, on the streaming service Disney+.