Fans are divided over the return of Carano, who has made her conservative viewpoints known on social media.
“The Mandalorian” star Gina Carano has stirred both pushback and support from “Star Wars” and Disney fans alike on social media after posting a number of controversial tweets, including about mask-wearing and hypothetical voter fraud. The actress, who plays Cara Dune in the Disney+ series, was also previously accused of mocking trans pronouns on social media. See some of the tweets below.
The #FireGinaCarano hashtag began picking up steam last week, but has continued to build momentum after Disney+ dropped the “Chapter 12” episode of “The Mandalorian” on Friday, in which Carano stars. But at the same time, #StandWithGinaCarano has also begun trending on Twitter in response from fans who feel the plea to cast Carano out of the show is another example of censorship, and cancel culture gone too far.
“It’s amazing how the #FireGinaCarano folks, don’t even see that their cancelation campaigns only verify many of the things she’s fighting against,” one fan tweeted. “Bullies. I #StandWithGinaCarano and I’m no conservative.”
“Now I have to watch @themandalorian with the knowledge that Gina Carano is a Trumpy nut, a transphobe, and an anti masker?” another wrote. “Can ya just #FireGinaCarano, Disney?”
Other controversy has stoked the social media petition for Disney to replace Carano. The actress and former MMA star also announced on Twitter earlier in November that she’d be migrating her social media presence over to the new Parler app, a conservative-bent free speech tool that many have flocked to in the aftermath of the election. Parler is funded in part by right-wing investor Rebekah Mercer, and is now home to figures like Proud Boys founder Gavin McInnes, Fox host Sean Hannity, Senator Ted Cruz, as well as members of the Trump family.
Carano, however, hasn’t abandoned Twitter entirely, as she tweeted over the weekend after the drop of the episode “The Siege” to thank her co-star Carl Weathers, who plays Greef Karga and also directed the episode. Carano is set to appear as Cara Dune, a former Rebel shock trooper turned mercenary and Mandalorian ally, throughout the rest of the ongoing second season.
As Vanity Fair points out, Carano tangled with fans over the summer accusing her of being silent during the surge of the Black Lives Matter movement, and highlighted tweets Carano liked that disparaged the protests.
Still, plenty of “Mandalorian” faithful remain in support of Carano throughout a show that has seen other controversies. Rosario Dawson, who it’s believed will make her “Mandalorian” debut this season as Ahsoka Tano, has weathered anti-trans discrimination claims as well, though later said such accusations were “baseless.”
Disney has yet to respond to the backlash, though the “Star Wars” spinoff universe has seen similar uproar in the past. Back in 2018, actress Rachel Butera, who voiced Leia Organa in the animated “Star Wars Resistance,” was recast after mocking the voice of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford on social media during the Brett Kavanaugh hearings.
— Gina Carano 🕯 (@ginacarano) November 15, 2020
— Gina Carano 🕯 (@ginacarano) November 15, 2020
You can join me over @parler_app
I go by GinaJoyCarano 🎈Joy is my middle name. 😊— Gina Carano 🕯 (@ginacarano) November 14, 2020
We need to clean up the election process so we are not left feeling the way we do today.
Put laws in place that protect us against voter fraud.
Investigate every state.
Film the counting.
Flush out the fake votes.
Require ID.
Make Voter Fraud end in 2020.
Fix the system. 🇺🇸— Gina Carano 🕯 (@ginacarano) November 5, 2020
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