The Mandalorian Explained: What Happened to Cara Dune?

The Mandalorian Season 3 immediately addressed the pending question of Cara Dune’s fate in Star Wars following the controversy that led to Gina Carano’s firing in 2021. As many people expected, Dune was basically written out of the story after playing a significant role in the first two runs of Din Djarin and Grogu’s adventures. Unless some significant change intervenes, the chances of seeing Dune’s return in The Mandalorian Season 3 are close to zero. Here’s what happened to her.

What Happened to Cara Dune?

Cara Dune joined the New Republic Special Forces after capturing and bringing Moff Gideon to justice, as revealed in The Mandalorian “Chapter 17: The Apostate.” The titular hero returned to Nevarro, where his long-term friend Greef Karga — who surged to the rank of High Magistrate after the Season 2 events — unveiled Dune’s fate. Karga also offered Djarin to become Nevarro’s new Marshal, a position previously filled by Dune, but the Mandalorian turned down the offer and went on his mission to expiate his sin of having removed his helmet in the presence of others.

Debuting in the novel series Aftermath — which takes place after the events of the original Star Wars trilogy — the New Republic Special Forces are a highly-skilled group of soldiers led by General Han Solo. The idea of Dune joining the New Republic Special Forces makes sense from a storytelling perspective, offering a way to continue her story and leaving the door open for her hypothetical return.

Dune made her first appearance in “Chapter 4: Sanctuary.” In the story, she made the most out of her Rebel shock trooper background to become a bounty hunter looking for Grogu. Dune immediately showcased her remarkable combat skills in her subsequent clash with Djarin before the pair joined forces to help the inhabitants of a peaceful village on the planet Sorgan to defend themselves against some Klatooinian raiders. Given her charisma and dedication to justice, Dune became a fan-favorite character to the point Lucasfilm planned a spin-off series focused on her before Carano’s firing.

Why Was Gina Carano Fired?

In February 2021, Gina Carano posted several controversial statements on her social accounts, including a comparison between Jews during the Holocaust and the treatment of Republicans in the United States. Many people found those comments as insensitive and offensive, leading to the actress’ firing from the show after the hashtag #FireGinaCarano trended on Twitter. A former mixed martial artist, Carano is one of the pioneers of women’s MMA. She pursued a career in acting after hanging on the 4-ounce gloves in 2009, piling up a record of seven wins and a sole loss in her career. As an actress, she mainly focused on action movies, working on titles like Fast & Furious 6 and Deadpool, among other things.

At the moment, it doesn’t seem to be any space for reconciliation between Carano and Lucasfilm, who described the actress’ social media posts as “abhorrent and unacceptable” at the time. In turn, Carano never apologized for her statements, leaving the future of Dune up in the air. The good news for the character’s fans is that Dune hasn’t suffered an irreversible fate, which leaves the door open for hope, but her return looks highly unlikely at the moment.

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