Buckle up, because we’re diving into a saga that's got more drama than a galaxy far, far away. This story revolves around Gina Carano, the former Rebel shock trooper Cara Dune from Disney+'s The Mandalorian, and her ongoing legal battle against Disney.
Remember that iconic line from Season 1 where Carano's character says, “Unless you want to go another round, one of us is going to have to leave, and I was here first”? Well, that line has taken on new significance.
Gina Carano, a former MMA fighter turned actress, found herself booted from the Star Wars series in 2021. Now, she's taken up arms again, but this time in the courtroom, fighting a discrimination lawsuit against Disney. And folks, it looks like this legal skirmish is far from over.
On Wednesday, California Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett dealt a blow to Disney's hopes of getting the lawsuit dismissed. She pointed out that Disney failed to provide evidence supporting their claim that their actors are expected to promote values like respect and decency. Without such evidence, Disney's argument that Carano's presence was detrimental to their image didn’t hold much weight.
Judge Garnett’s order stated, “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.’” In simpler terms, Disney couldn’t prove that Carano’s behavior was bad enough to justify her firing based on their standards.
As of now, there’s no trial date set, but unless something unexpected happens, Carano’s lawsuit, backed by none other than Elon Musk, is heading to trial. This means more courtroom drama and possibly a costly settlement for Disney.
The judge also noted that Disney and its co-defendants, Lucasfilm and Huckleberry Industries, didn’t have a clear argument about how Carano’s continued employment would harm their rights.
Unlike private organizations like the Boy Scouts, Disney is a for-profit company and employs actors to create content. So, the judge couldn’t conclude that keeping Carano on board would interfere with Disney's operations.
In their defense, Disney argued in an April 9 motion that Carano was fired for comparing political criticism to the Holocaust. This comparison was the “final straw” for Disney, leading to her dismissal. Carano, however, claims her comments were misunderstood and twisted to portray her as an extremist. She filed the lawsuit to reclaim her Mandalorian role and seek damages.