Gina Carano Draws Parallels Between Her Disney Lawsuit and Scarlett Johansson’s: “Now imagine if you aren’t SJ and you don’t have that star power to fight back”
Gina Carano is best known in recent times for her role as Cara Dune, a significant character in the first two seasons of The Mandalorian. The studio initially had big plans for both the actress and her character, including a potential standalone show.
However, things took a turn after Carano made a series of controversial social media posts, including a comparison of anti-vaxxers to Jews. She also addressed other sensitive topics that clashed with modern sensibilities and the image Disney strives to uphold.
The situation escalated when Carano faced criticism for refusing to disclose her pronouns in support of the trans rights movement. In response, she added “boop/bop/beep” to her Twitter bio, which she explained was not intended to mock the trans community but to express her frustration. Carano compared the phrase to the sounds made by R2-D2, but the incident led to significant backlash.
As a result, Carano’s contract with the media company was not renewed, effectively ending her role and standalone show. Following her dismissal, she decided to sue Disney, with the lawsuit reportedly funded by Elon Musk.
Recently, Carano returned to the media spotlight as the court allowed her lawsuit to proceed, rejecting Disney’s attempt to have it dismissed. The judge ruled that Disney does not hire actors solely to serve as spokespersons or to uphold its public image.
The lawsuit is now moving toward either a trial or settlement, and Carano has previously expressed openness to returning to the media company.
Carano recently posted on social media, drawing a comparison between her own legal battle and Scarlett Johansson’s. Johansson, who starred as Black Widow, sued Disney during the pandemic, alleging that the studio’s decision to release the film simultaneously in theaters and on Disney+ via Premier Access violated her contract, as her compensation was largely based on box office performance.
The situation escalated when Disney publicly responded, accusing Johansson of exploiting the COVID-19 pandemic to gain public sympathy. They portrayed her as greedy and insensitive, citing her “callous disregard for the horrific and prolonged global effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Johansson ultimately settled the lawsuit in her favor, and recent rumors suggest she may be in talks with Disney, possibly for future involvement in the MCU.
Whether you support Carano or not, it’s important to recognize that her lawsuit is quite different from Johansson’s. While Johansson was clearly a victim of a breached contract, Carano didn’t have an active contract with the media company at the time of her “dismissal,” as it was never renewed. However, both actresses were subjected to slander campaigns, which is somewhat expected when dealing with a large company with a powerful PR machine.
Carano also faces a tougher battle, with far less exposure and fewer resources compared to Johansson. Her fanbase is only a fraction of what Johansson enjoys. While I understand the comparison Carano is trying to make, Johansson’s case was much more clear-cut.
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