Disney Defends Gina Carano Firing, Says They Stand For Universal Values

About a month ago, Gina Carano was let go by Lucasfilm following the latest of her controversial social media posts causing an internet storm, with the studio confirming that the former MMA star would no longer play Cara Dune in the Star Wars universe. This has led to as much division as Carano’s online activity, however, as many have risen to her defense, blasting cancel culture in general and accusing Disney of double standards.

Disney CEO Bob Chapek was faced with these accusations while speaking at the studio’s annual shareholders meeting today. A stockholder, talking during the Q&A portion of the conference, referenced both Carano and fellow Mandalorian star Pedro Pascal having shared controversial posts related to Nazi Germany online but only Carano having been fired. When asked if Disney had a political bias, Chapek defended the company and argued that he doesn’t “really see Disney as characterizing itself as left-leaning or right-leaning.”

He continued by stating that the Mouse House stands “for values that are universal: respect, decency, integrity and inclusion and we seek to have the content that we make reflective of the rich diversity of the world we live in. And I think that’s a world we should all live in harmony and peace.” He neglected to reference the Carano situation directly in his response, however.

As you’ll no doubt know, the actress was fired following a post which implicitly compared being a Conservative in contemporary America to being Jewish during the Holocaust. It caused much outrage online, with an official statement from Disney labelling it as “abhorrent and unacceptable.” Meanwhile, the post from Pascal referenced by the stockholder is likely an Instagram post from last year in which he drew parallels between Trump supporters and Nazis and Civil War Confederates.

In addition to being removed from Star Wars, Gina Carano was likewise let go by her agency. She has, however, entered into a partnership with right wing website The Daily Wire to star in a movie for them. Meanwhile, it’s been reported that Cara Dune might be recast for The Mandalorian season 3, which starts production next month, but that’s yet to be confirmed.