When LEGO Star Wars: The Mandalorian arrives on Disney+ next month, fans will see plenty of familiar faces from the hit series. One notable character, however, will be nowhere to be found.
Cara Dune does not appear in the official trailer or announced cast list for the upcoming animated special, despite the project revisiting stories and characters from across all three seasons of The Mandalorian (2019–2023).
That means Gina Carano’s former character has now been excluded from yet another major Star Wars project.
The omission comes several years after Carano’s departure from the franchise. She first appeared as Cara Dune when The Mandalorian debuted in 2019, quickly becoming one of the show’s most popular supporting characters.
A former shock trooper, Dune frequently crossed paths with Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and became an important ally to the Mandalorian and Grogu.
Carano returned in Season 2 before Lucasfilm announced that the actress would not return for future projects in February 2021. The decision followed controversial social media posts shared by Carano and generated significant debate among Star Wars fans.
Related:Â Is Gina Carano Coming Back as Cara Dune in ‘Rangers of the New Republic?’
Dune herself was not immediately written out of the story. When The Mandalorian returned for its third season in 2023, the series explained that she had been recruited by the New Republic Special Forces. This allowed the character’s whereabouts to remain open-ended without requiring another actress to take over the role.
There was also a period when Cara Dune’s return seemed possible.
Carano filed a wrongful dismissal lawsuit against Disney and Lucasfilm, with financial backing from Elon Musk and X. The lawsuit was eventually settled, although neither side publicly disclosed the details of the agreement. The development fueled speculation that Carano could once again appear as Dune. Instead, the character has remained absent.
Dune did not appear in The Mandalorian & Grogu (2026), which brought the franchise to the big screen, and Lucasfilm has not recast her for a new live-action appearance. She has also largely disappeared from other forms of Star Wars storytelling, including animation and publishing.
Now, the LEGO version of The Mandalorian is yet another example.
The special features several performers returning to their familiar roles. Other major performers, including Pedro Pascal as Din Djarin and Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker, are also absent from the cast. But unlike those characters, Cara Dune has not simply been recast with another voice actor — she appears to have been left out entirely.
That is despite the project’s stated intention to revisit all three seasons of The Mandalorian.
A full trailer was unveiled at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Experience, giving fans their first extended look at the special and its returning characters.
LEGO Star Wars: The Mandalorian arrives on Disney+ on September 2, the same day that The Mandalorian & Grogu is expected to begin streaming.
All three seasons of The Mandalorian are currently available on Disney+.
For a character who once appeared to be on the verge of becoming one of the franchise’s biggest new stars, Cara Dune has now been absent from virtually every major continuation of The Mandalorian.
The LEGO special is simply the latest — and perhaps strangest — example.
What do you think of Cara Dune being left out of LEGO Star Wars: The Mandalorian? Should Lucasfilm recast the character, or should Dune remain in the past? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
