Gina Carano’s legal fight over her dismissal from The Mandalorian could involve a high-profile lineup of witnesses, including Pedro Pascal, Jon Favreau, and former Disney CEO Bob Chapek.
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| Pedro Pascal and Gina Carano Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images; Jesse Grant/Getty Images |
In a joint filing from Carano and Disney, Carano named these individuals, along with Bear Grylls, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy, and Lynne Hale, the mastermind behind the Star Wars publicity campaign, as potential witnesses for her case.
The court document from July 26 outlines issues to be addressed in the trial, tentatively set for September 25, 2025. One key issue is whether Carano was under contract on February 10, 2021, when Disney allegedly terminated her for expressing right-wing views on social media.
Another disputed issue is whether Carano was treated differently from her male co-stars. In her February lawsuit, she claimed that Disney and Lucasfilm ignored similar offensive and derogatory posts made by others, which targeted Republicans, while she was allegedly terminated for her cultural and religious beliefs. She highlighted a 2017 post by Pascal comparing former President Donald Trump to Hitler.
Additional posts from Pascal mentioned in the lawsuit include one where he compared the U.S. response to illegal immigration to Germany’s concentration camps.
The Mandalorian creator Jon Favreau might be called to testify about whether Disney approved plans for a new spinoff, Rangers of the New Republic, which would have featured Carano’s Cara Dune as a lead character. Kathleen Kennedy confirmed the production of this spinoff in 2020.
Bear Grylls could be asked to testify regarding allegations that Disney pulled an episode of Running Wild With Bear Grylls featuring Carano after her termination.
In response, Disney challenged Carano’s list of witnesses and indicated it might call Lucasfilm VP of Animation and Live Action Development Carrie Beck and Disney EVP of Communications Paul Roeder to testify.
The development follows a recent decision by a federal judge, who denied Disney’s attempt to dismiss the lawsuit. U.S. District Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett rejected Disney’s argument that Carano’s discrimination claims were barred by the First Amendment, finding that her termination might have been a retaliation for her unpopular political beliefs.
Disney had contended that it had the right to distance its Star Wars series from views it deemed offensive and contrary to its message of respect, integrity, and inclusion.
Carano’s removal from the Star Wars universe potentially cost her millions of dollars. Standard contracts for series regulars on similar spinoffs typically span about six years, with a base salary ranging from $150,000 to $250,000 per episode, and each season comprising up to 10 episodes.
joint report by THR
