Cara Dune Fans Excited as Gina Carano Returns Ahead of ‘Mandalorian’ Movie Release
Few characters from The Mandalorian (2019) have captured fans’ imaginations quite like Gina Carano’s Cara Dune, the tough-but-tender ex-shock trooper who quickly became a fan favorite character, even alongside the likes of Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and Grogu.
Sadly, however, Carano was fired by Lucasfilm in 2021 after sharing divisive tweets, leaving the character’s future in the Disney+ series and Star Wars as a whole uncertain.
What Happened to Gina Carano’s Cara Dune?
After filing a wrongful termination lawsuit, the former MMA fighter reached a settlement with Lucasfilm last year, leading fans to speculate that she might one day reprise her role as Cara Dune.
While it remains to be seen whether Carano has returned to play the character in the upcoming film The Mandalorian and Grogu (2026) — Star Wars likes to keep major cameos close to the chest — her legacy in the faraway galaxy is impossible to ignore.
Dune, the ex-shock trooper turned New Republic marshal, became an instant standout with fans. But while the new film brings back bounty hunter Din and pint-sized Force wielder Grogu, Dune, along with many other familiar faces from the hit Disney+ series, is absent.
Watch the brand-new trailer for The Mandalorian and Grogu below:
Related: First Trailer for ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’: Has Gina Carano Returned? | Disney Dining
Cara Dune Isn’t the Only Missing Character
The movie does bring some returning Star Wars favorites, though: Zeb Orrelios from Rebels, Jabba the Hutt’s son Rotta, and the bounty hunter Embo from The Clone Wars.
Sigourney Weaver, Jeremy Allen White, and Jonny Coyne round out the supporting cast, though longtime series characters like Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff) and Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito) are missing from the lineup.
Gina Carano Will Return Elsewhere
While we know why Gina Carano is also absent, the fate of her character isn’t so straightforward. Dune is referenced only in passing in The Mandalorian Season 3, with Greef Karga (the late Carl Weathers) telling Din that she’s been recruited by special forces.
Since leaving the franchise, Carano has focused on other projects, but she’s now gearing up for a major comeback in the world that first made her famous: MMA.
Deadline reports that Carano, 43, will face Ronda Rousey in a first-time-ever Netflix-streamed fight on May 16, marking her return to the ring after a 17-year hiatus.
“This is going to be legendary!” one fan writes on X (formerly Twitter) in response to the announcement. “Two absolute icons in the ring. Can’t wait to watch this live on Netflix!”
One fan suggests that the MMA should “team with Disney and have Gina Carano in her Star Wars Cara Dune outfit and have Ronda Rousey in Katee Sackhoff’s Bo-Katan Kryze outfit” so that it would appeal to the MMA crowd and the Star Wars nerds.
“I have a Cara Dune Funko Pop that needs to be signed,” another adds. “Just joking. I’ll be watching the fight.”
“I’ll be pulling for Cara Dune to make an appearance,” one fan also jokes.
“Cara Dune for the win,” another writes.
The Mandalorian and Grogu
The Mandalorian and Grogu is set to hit theaters on May 22, just a few days after Carano’s MMA return.
“The evil Empire has fallen, and Imperial warlords remain scattered throughout the galaxy,” the synopsis for the film on StarWars.com reads. “As the fledgling New Republic works to protect everything the Rebellion fought for, they have enlisted the help of legendary Mandalorian bounty hunter Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and his young apprentice Grogu.”
Are you excited about The Mandalorian and Grogu? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
