Hasbro scraps Gina Carano's 'Star Wars' figures in wake of controversy
Washington [US], February 16 (ANI): Popular toy company Hasbro will stop producing Cara Dune action figures after 'The Mandalorian' actor Gina Carano was fired last week over inflammatory social media posts.
As per The Hollywood Reporter, Hasbro has scrapped plans to make more Cara Dune figures in the wake of the recent controversy. Although the toy company has yet to officially comment on the issue, retailer BigBadToyStore explained to the publication they were forced to cancel preorders for Cara Dune items because it would no more be manufactured.
"The Star Wars Black Cara Dune figure was released in 2020 and sold out not long after the inventory was received," a spokeswoman for BigBadToyStore told the publication on Monday.
The spokeswoman added, "Hasbro planned for another production run and we were accepting preorders from that production run. Due to recent events, Hasbro was no longer approved to produce any more of this figure."
It was announced last week that Carano would not return to 'The Mandalorian' or any other 'Star Wars' project after her controversial social media posts. The decision polarised 'Star Wars' fans, some applauded the action while others expressed outrage, even starting a petition to bring her back to the hit Disney+ series.
Carano played former Rebel Alliance soldier Cara Dune in 'The Mandalorian', an instant fan favourite series. There was even a plan to give Cara Dune a stand-alone show, but that has all been swept away amid the controversy.
However, Carano showed no contrition after the firing announcement was made. Instead, on Friday, she claimed to be a victim of cancel culture and said she would be teaming up with The Daily Wire, the conservative website run by Ben Shapiro, to develop and produce a movie project.
"I am sending out a direct message of hope to everyone living in fear of cancellation by the totalitarian mob. 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. They can't cancel us if we don't let them," she said on Friday.
As per Variety, Lucasfilm fired Carano, who starred in both seasons of Disney Plus' 'The Mandalorian', on Wednesday night after she shared several controversial social media posts on her Instagram story.
An official spokesperson of the production house said in a statement on Wednesday, "Gina Carano is not currently employed by Lucasfilm and there are no plans for her to be in the future. Nevertheless, her social media posts denigrating people based on their cultural and religious identities are abhorrent and unacceptable."
One of the actor's posts compared contemporary political differences to the treatment of Jews in Nazi Germany, and another post mocked the mask-wearing mandates amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Carano has also come under fire by posting misinformation about election fraud and mocking people who specify their gender pronouns.
The actor was also dropped by UTA as a client within hours after her Lucasfilm firing. Many users on Twitter used the hashtag #FireGinaCarano on Wednesday as a part of the social media backlash. (ANI)
