Gina Carano Follows ‘Mandalorian’ Firing With Movie For Ben Shapiro’s Daily Wire - Forbes

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Topline

Actress Gina Carano will produce and star in a movie for conservative commentator Ben Shapiro’s website The Daily Wire, the website announced Friday, as the performer finds favor on the right after being fired from Disney+ series The Mandalorian over controversial social media posts that likened Republicans’ treatment by Democrats to Nazi Germany.

Key Facts

Carano’s film will be released exclusively to the Daily Wire’s members and be part of its partnership with producer Dallas Sonnier and production company Bonfire Legend.

Carano said in a statement her “prayer was answered” with the film, and she was “sending out a direct message of hope to everyone living in fear of cancellation by the totalitarian mob.”

Lucasfilm confirmed Carano was dismissed from The Mandalorian Wednesday after her comments sparked fury for being anti-Semitic, saying she was “not currently employed” by the studio and there “no plans for her to be in the future.”

She was also dropped by talent agency UTA and by her publicist.

Conservatives denounced Carano’s firing as “cancel culture” and Republicans being discriminated against over their beliefs, with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) slamming Disney for “canceling” the actress after she “broke barriers in the Star Wars universe.”

Crucial Quote

“I have only just begun using my voice which is now freer than ever before, and I hope it inspires others to do the same,” Carano said in a statement. “They can’t cancel us if we don’t let them.”

Key Background

Carano’s Instagram story that provoked her firing centered on Jewish people in Nazi Germany who were disavowed by their neighbors, asking, “How is that any different from hating someone for their political views?” The post sparked a quick backlash, with calls for Carano’s firing trending on social media before Lucasfilm made its statement. Even before her latest comments, the actress and former MMA fighter had a history of controversy on social media: she has also criticized face mask policies, pushed unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud in the November election and was criticized as being transphobic after adding “beep/bop/boop” to her Twitter profile instead of pronouns. She was also condemned for sharing a photo of a Nazi rally on Twitter in August—featuring a man who refused to give the “sieg heil” salute—which she defended as a “heartbreaking and powerful story of a man who changed his ways for the woman he loved.”

Tangent

Carano was reportedly in talks to have an even bigger role in the Star Wars universe before her latest posts. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Disney had already scuttled plans for the actress to star in her own series on Disney+ based on comments Carano had made in November. Her Instagram activity this week was the “final straw” for Disney, an anonymous source told the Reporter, which had already been “looking for a reason to fire her.”