Cara Dune has been missing from the Star Wars universe for years, but her latest absence is particularly noticeable.
The character became one of the most recognizable members of The Mandalorian (2019) after Gina Carano debuted as the former Rebel shock trooper in the show's first season.
Dune quickly established herself as a formidable ally of Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal), combining a fierce attitude with a softer side that made her a fan favorite.
Carano returned for Season 2, with Cara Dune becoming an increasingly important part of the series' expanding cast. At one point, she was even expected to headline her own Disney+ series, Rangers of the New Republic. But that future disappeared in 2021.
Carano was fired by Lucasfilm in February of that year after sharing controversial posts on social media. Her departure effectively ended Dune's role in The Mandalorian, although the character was not immediately killed off or recast.
When the series returned for Season 3 in 2023, viewers learned that Dune had been recruited by the New Republic Special Forces and was working elsewhere in the faraway galaxy.
For a while, however, there was still a possibility that Dune could return.
Carano later sued Disney and Lucasfilm for wrongful dismissal, with Elon Musk and X (formerly Twitter) providing financial backing for the lawsuit. The case was eventually settled, although the terms were not made public.
Still, the settlement prompted renewed speculation that Carano could somehow return to Star Wars. But, of course, that never happened. Instead, Cara Dune has continued to disappear from the franchise.
The character was absent from The Mandalorian & Grogu (2026), despite the movie continuing the story established by the Disney+ series. And now, Dune has also been left out of LEGO Star Wars: The Mandalorian (2026), a new animated special that revisits material from all three seasons of The Mandalorian.
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The omission is particularly interesting because the special brings back a substantial number of characters from the original series.
Katee Sackhoff returns as Bo-Katan Kryze, while Giancarlo Esposito reprises Moff Gideon. Ming-Na Wen returns as Fennec Shand, Rosario Dawson as Ahsoka Tano, Temuera Morrison as Boba Fett, Timothy Olyphant as Cobb Vanth, Nick Nolte as Kuiil, and Taika Waititi as IG-11/IG-12.
Not every original performer has returned, though, with Pedro Pascal and Mark Hamill among those absent from the voice cast. However, Cara Dune is missing altogether.
According to StarWars.com, the special “celebrates your favorite stories and characters from all three seasons of The Mandalorian.” Yet Dune, despite playing a significant role across the show's first two seasons, does not appear in the official trailer or cast list.
A full trailer premiered at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Experience, where attendees were also given an early screening.
LEGO Star Wars: The Mandalorian will stream on Disney+ on September 2.
All three seasons of The Mandalorian are currently available to stream on Disney+.
For now, the LEGO special represents yet another Star Wars project in which Cara Dune has no place. Whether that is simply the result of the character's complicated history or a sign that Lucasfilm has permanently moved on from Dune remains unclear.
What do you think of Lucasfilm leaving Cara Dune out of LEGO Star Wars: The Mandalorian? Should the character be recast, or is it time for Star Wars to move on? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
