Get ready for some MMA combat in a galaxy far, far away, because the news just broke that Gina Carano has joined the cast of The Mandalorian.
The mixed martial artist turned film star has made appearances in such franchise outings as Fast & Furious 6 and Deadpool, though some of you may know her best for her starring role in the 2011 thriller Haywire. In any case, it seems that Lucasfilm is set on bringing us a little hand-to-hand spectacle in their upcoming Star Wars spinoff series.
Though the Disney Plus show has been filming for well over a month, casting details remain thin. So far, the only other actor announced for the series is Pedro Pascal of Narcos and Game of Thrones fame, with a Variety report breaking the story just yesterday.
Beyond this pair, it remains to be seen which familiar faces will be introducing us to this unexplored chapter in Star Wars history, though the internet has yielded a few suggestions. For one thing, a rumor’s been going round for a while now that Carl Weathers of Predator and Rocky fame will have a part to play. What’s more, reports have also alleged that Bryce Dallas Howard and Taika Waitit each have minor roles lined up, and while such claims are awaiting confirmation, we do at least know that the Jurassic World star and the Thor: Ragnarok helmsman will each be directing episodes.
Anyway, though there’s still much to be learned about The Mandalorian, the addition of Carano can be taken as an encouraging sign that the franchise isn’t going to lose its propensity for action as it makes the jump to small screens.