The Star Wars franchise has grown exponentially since Disney acquired Lucasfilm, as the studio has produced an abundance of new content for the big and small screens. However, this era also features an ever-growing list of projects that were announced and never materialized. The collection of unrealized Star Wars works primarily consists of movies, ranging from Rian Johnson’s new trilogy to a film spearheaded by Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige and many others in between. There have also been some TV shows that never saw the light of day. Perhaps the most notable example on that front is Rangers of the New Republic, which was an announced Mandalorian spinoff.
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Rangers of the New Republic was revealed during Disney’s Investor Day presentation in December 2020. As the title suggests, the series would have revolved around New Republic officers fighting back against Imperial remnants and other evil forces throughout the galaxy. The plan was for Gina Carano to reprise her role as Cara Dune, but a year later, former Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy shared the project had been cancelled. But thanks to The Mandalorian and Grogu, the Star Wars franchise has a suitable replacement on deck.
The Mandalorian and Grogu‘s Connection to Rangers of the New Republic Explained
Throughout the Mandalorian and Grogu marketing campaign, Lucasfilm has done its best to maintain its trademark secretive approach, but some key plot details have been revealed. As seen in the most recent Mandalorian and Grogu trailer, Din Djarin and Grogu have been recruited by the New Republic to track down old Imperials causing trouble in various corners of the galaxy. The dynamic duo receives their mission from Colonel Ward, a new character played by Sigourney Weaver. The official website of the UK-based theater chain Odeon mentioned that Ward, who fought with the Rebellion, is now the “leader of the Adelphi Rangers.”
The Adelphi Rangers are not a new creation for The Mandalorian and Grogu; the squadron has been a recurring element across the New Republic TV shows (prominent members include Carson Teva and Trapper Wolf). In that sense, it isn’t surprising that the Rangers will be featured in the upcoming film, but it’s still interesting to have Colonel Ward’s connection to them (seemingly) confirmed. It was long assumed Weaver was playing some sort of authoritative figure who would give Din Djarin his mission, but now we know he’s acting on behalf of the Rangers.
That setup essentially means The Mandalorian and Grogu is partially operating as a Rangers of the New Republic replacement. Kennedy noted that no Rangers of the New Republic scripts had been written, but if the show had moved forward, one would assume the episodes would revolve around a similar premise, following Cara Dune and her colleagues as they look to bring former Imperial warlords and gangsters to justice. At the time of its original announcement, Rangers of the New Republic was envisioned as a main cog of the MandoVerse, part of a lineup of programs leading up to Dave Filoni’s New Republic movie.
When the series was cancelled, Kennedy said that aspects of Rangers of the New Republic would be reworked to fit into The Mandalorian. We saw how that played out in Season 3; Din Djarin has multiple interactions with Carson Teva. First, the New Republic captain informs the Mandalorians about the pirates on Navarro, and later Djarin offers his services as a part-time contractor to hunt down old Imperials (setting the stage for The Mandalorian and Grogu‘s main plot). The Season 3 bits involving Teva feel like repurposed bits from Rangers of the New Republic development, as Cara Dune easily could have dealt with Gorian Shard or uncovered the mystery of Moff Gideon’s escape from custody. Instead, that material was given to Carson and Djarin.
Will Cara Dune Ever Reappear in the Star Wars Franchise?
Cara Dune was a key supporting character in the first two seasons of The Mandalorian, becoming a fan favorite with her no-nonsense demeanor. It seemed natural to make her the focus of a spinoff show, but that was before Lucasfilm parted ways with Carano in response to the actress’ controversial social media posts. Not only was Rangers of the New Republic scrapped, Cara Dune was written out of The Mandalorian Season 3. Her absence is addressed in a line of dialogue where Greef Karga says she now works for New Republic Special Forces.
In 2024, Carano filed a lawsuit against Disney and Lucasfilm, a case that was settled a year later. In a statement, a Lucasfilm spokesperson said the studio looked “forward to identifying opportunities to work together with Ms. Carano in the near future” (via Variety), citing her professional work ethic. Of course, Carano has yet to be rehired by Lucasfilm, so it remains to be seen if she’ll ever be reunited with her old companions on screen. Barring a surprise, Carano is not involved with The Mandalorian and Grogu or Ahsoka Season 2.
Due to Lucasfilm’s shifting priorities, there might be limited opportunities to bring Carano back. With no new live-action shows confirmed to be in the pipeline after Ahsoka Season 2, it looks like the studio is focusing more on theatrical features moving forward. There’s an abundance of Star Wars movies in various stages of development, but these projects are all set at different points in the official timeline. Right now, the one movie that makes the most sense for Cara Dune is Filoni’s New Republic film, which doesn’t have a release date yet. Reportedly, Disney is waiting to see how The Mandalorian and Grogu performs before deciding that project’s fate.
Filoni’s New Republic movie is supposedly envisioned as a climactic event for ongoing MandoVerse storylines, perhaps centering on the New Republic’s attempts to thwart Grand Admiral Thrawn. It would be strange if a highly respected member of Special Forces wasn’t present for that confrontation. Cara has proven time and time again she’s useful in a fight, and she’d gladly help take down Thrawn’s stormtroopers. Ultimately, it’ll boil down to whether or not Lucasfilm and Carano can come to an agreement. If Cara isn’t seen on screen again, perhaps a novel or comic series can explain what became of her.
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Image Courtesy of Paramount
