Gina Carano is no stranger to reinvention, but even by her standards, 2026 marks a stunning new chapter. Once a trailblazer in women’s mixed martial arts and later a rising star in Hollywood, Carano now finds herself back in the spotlight for reasons that stretch far beyond the octagon. With a landmark settlement with Disney in her rearview mirror, a much-anticipated MMA clash against Ronda Rousey looming, and rumors swirling about a Star Wars return, Carano’s journey reads like something straight out of a Hollywood script—one with plenty of twists, turns, and second chances.
It all began, or rather unraveled, in February 2021. Carano’s firing from The Mandalorian sent shockwaves through both the entertainment and sports worlds. Lucasfilm’s original statement was scathing, declaring her social media posts “abhorrent and unacceptable” and accusing her of denigrating people “based on their cultural and religious identities.” The fallout was swift: her character, Cara Dune, was written out, and a planned spinoff series was scrapped. The Star Wars fandom erupted into a seemingly endless war of words, with Carano at the center of it all.
But the story didn’t end there. In late 2023, backed by Elon Musk, Carano filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against Disney. The legal battle kept her name in the headlines and reignited debate around “cancel culture.” After nearly two years, the two sides reached a confidential settlement in August 2025. This time, the tone was strikingly different. Lucasfilm’s statement read, “Ms. Carano was always well respected by her directors, co-stars, and staff, and she worked hard to perfect her craft while treating her colleagues with kindness and respect. With this lawsuit concluded, we look forward to identifying opportunities to work together with Ms. Carano in the near future.”
For Carano, the contrast between the two statements was hard to ignore. “Nobody really picked it up,” she reflected in a recent interview. “But it’s such a remarkable contrast from that first very horrendous statement that they had put out years earlier. That speaks leagues.” The reversal signaled not just legal closure, but a possible path back to the franchise that had once made her a household name.
Behind the scenes, reconciliation was already underway. In late January 2026, Carano connected with The Mandalorian creator Jon Favreau and Lucasfilm chief creative officer Dave Filoni over Zoom. The conversation, as Carano described it, was a “let’s touch base” moment—an opportunity to ensure that, after years of public turmoil, there was no animosity left. “Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni were two people that I always respected, and we went through two seasons together, and we had a great relationship. And even during everything that was happening, Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau were never the bad guys to me,” Carano told The Hollywood Reporter.
She declined to reveal whether a potential return as Cara Dune was discussed, but made clear the call held deep personal importance. “I won’t really disclose any of that, but I will say that for me, it was an important conversation. To Zoom, to see each other, to mend whatever, to make sure everybody was good. And everybody was good.”
Carano’s relationships with other key Star Wars figures have changed. Her bond with Pedro Pascal, her former co-star, is one of the casualties of the controversy. The two last spoke after the death of Carl Weathers in February 2024. “But no,” she clarified, “me and Pedro don’t keep in touch.” As for Kathleen Kennedy, who recently stepped down as Lucasfilm president, Carano was gracious. “I wish her the best,” she said, adding that she hopes Kennedy one day writes a book or becomes the subject of a documentary. “You never know what somebody else is going through.”
While the Star Wars door may be ajar, Carano’s immediate focus is on the fight of her life—literally. On May 16, she’ll step into the cage at Los Angeles’ Intuit Dome to face Ronda Rousey in a 5x5 professional MMA bout promoted by Most Valuable Promotions, the company founded by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian. The event will stream live on Netflix, marking a major crossover moment for both Carano and the sport.
The backstory between Carano and Rousey is the stuff of MMA folklore. More than a decade ago, they met backstage at an arena. Carano, in big blue heels, looked down at a then-unknown Rousey, who grinned and said, “You’re not that big.” Carano replied, “Hi, Ronda.” They never fought—until now. Rousey went on to become the most famous woman in MMA, then WWE, while Carano transitioned to acting and eventually Star Wars. Now, at 43, Carano faces the 39-year-old Rousey in a bout that’s as much about legacy as it is about competition.
Carano’s path to the cage has been arduous. By September 2024, she was prediabetic, depressed, and physically unrecognizable from her fighting prime. “I was in a horrific condition, just physically and a bit emotionally,” she admitted. “I kind of lost my way and was just depressed.” The turnaround came with six months of grueling training in Las Vegas. Older men and teenagers at her gym have stopped her to say she looks leaner than ever. “I’m coming from prediabetic, just in horrific condition, to becoming an athlete again,” Carano said. “And to do that in a year and a half—there’s just been so many different levels of it.”
The fight with Rousey isn’t just a comeback; it’s a statement. Carano helped build women’s MMA before Rousey took it mainstream. Now, with Jake Paul hyping the event—“Surreal moment. I started taking judo because of Ronda Rousey. Now I get to work with her and Gina Carano to bring MMA to Netflix. Here we go,” Paul posted—the stakes couldn’t be higher. For Carano, it’s also about reclaiming her narrative after years of being defined by others. “The opponent that you’re training for is right in front of you. And you know what their intentions are, and they know your intentions are,” she explained. “It’s just been super refreshing.”
Looking ahead, Carano is plotting her next moves. She’s working with a new manager who is also a producer, and says there are projects in development. “I want to return to acting, but differently this time—to tell stories, and to be passionate about my work, like never before,” she shared. The Disney settlement and the positive Zoom with Favreau and Filoni suggest the door to Star Wars isn’t closed, though nothing is set in stone. The upcoming Mandalorian and Grogu film, directed by Favreau and set for release on May 22, is on her radar. “Jon Favreau directed it, and he’s a good man. He’s a great storyteller. He’s an amazing artist. And I would really like to see all of this turmoil within the Star Wars fandom kind of come to an end. It just feels like it’s a never-ending war.”
As the May 16 fight approaches, Carano stands at a crossroads—one foot in the cage, the other inching back toward Hollywood. Whether she dons Cara Dune’s armor again or simply redefines herself on her own terms, one thing’s for sure: Gina Carano’s next act is unfolding in real time, and it’s anyone’s guess where the story goes from here.