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Disney’s request to dismiss a lawsuit filed by The Mandalorian star Gina Carano has been dismissed, which means the two parties will almost certainly head to court.
Carano’s relationship with The Walt Disney Company hasn’t exactly run smoothly. The ex-MMA fighter previously starred as Cara Dune – a former Rebel shock trooper from Alderaan who later became a mercenary after the Galactic Civil War – in two seasons of the hit Disney+ Star Wars series The Mandalorian.
Credit: Lucasfilm
The character was incredibly well received by critics and fans alike, with Vanity Fair praising Carano for her “real-life, distinct blend of inherent sweetness and physical toughness.”
At the end of the second season, there was no sign that Dune wouldn’t return for further adventures with Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and Grogu. In fact, there were rumors abound that she was heading for the ultimate franchise honor: her own spinoff, rumored to be called Rangers of the New Republic.
Credit: Lucasfilm
However, these plans were swiftly axed in 2022 when Lucasfilm fired Carano.
The studio – or, to be more specific, its parent company, The Walt Disney Company – had reached its tipping point with Carano after she shared a meme equating differing political opinions to being Jewish in Nazi Germany. This came after she had previously spoken out several times against COVID-19 vaccines and endorsed claims that the 2020 presidential election was fraudulent and rigged against Donald Trump.
Credit: Lucasfilm
“Gina Carano is not currently employed by Lucasfilm, and there are no plans for her to be in the future,” a Lucasfilm spokesperson told EW. “Nevertheless, her social media posts denigrating people based on their cultural and religious identities are abhorrent and unacceptable.”
Since then, Carano – who also starred alongside Ryan Reynolds in Deadpool (2016) as an ‘enhanced human’ known as Angel Dust – has voiced persistent criticism of both Lucasfilm and Disney.
Earlier this year, she filed a lawsuit – in part funded by Elon Musk as part of his promise to fund the legal fees of those fired due to their posts on X (formerly known as Twitter) – alleging wrongful termination and discrimination by Disney. The suit seeks her immediate reinstatement as Cara Dune and $75,000 in punitive damages from Lucasfilm.
Credit: Lucasfilm
In April, Disney filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit. It contended that it had the “constitutional right not to associate its artistic expression with Carano’s speech” and was acting within First Amendment rights. Disney also cited the aforementioned Instagram post from Carano that compared the treatment of modern conservatives to the persecution of Jewish people in Nazi Germany as the “final straw” that led to the termination of their working relationship.
While Disney was likely trying to avoid a messy public trial, it seems like this may be their only option, as this week, a judge rejected its bid to dismiss the case.
Credit: Lucasfilm
“Defendants have not identified any evidence — in the Complaint or otherwise — to substantiate a claim that they employ public-facing actors for the purpose of promoting the ‘values of respect,’ ‘decency,’ ‘integrity,’ or ‘inclusion,'” California Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett said on Wednesday.
Carano has since expressed her relief at the judge’s decision in a lengthy post on X in which she also thanks Elon Musk for his support and “standing for justice for all of humanity.”
“the court DENIES defendants motion.”
I am moved to tears. After a brutal 3 1/2 years, I am being given the opportunity to move forward in the court of law before the judge and my peers to clear my name. I am so grateful for this opportunity.
What happened to me was… pic.twitter.com/q7r3MLhCEr
— Gina Carano ???? (@ginacarano) July 25, 2024
“I am moved to tears,” Carano says early in the post. “After a brutal 3 1/2 years, I am being given the opportunity to move forward in the court of law before the judge and my peers to clear my name. I am so grateful for this opportunity.”
She goes on to claim that what Disney did to her was “unacceptable, absurd, and abusive, among other things. It should not have happened to me, and it should not happen to anyone else moving forward. Let it stop here.”
Do you think Disney was right to dismiss Gina Carano over her social media posts?
