Disney must turn over a trove of contracts and other documents to the legal team representing actor Gina Carano in her lawsuit against the entertainment giant for firing her from the cast of its popular Star Wars TV series, "The Mandalorian," allegedly in retaliation for conservative political statements she made on social media that studio executives found unacceptable.
Earlier this month, a federal magistrate judge ordered The Walt Disney Company and others associated with production of "The Mandalorian" and other Star Wars-based television series to turn over contracts for some of its biggest stars, including actor Pedro Pascal, who leads "The Mandalorian" cast, and actor Diego Luna, star of the Disney+ series "Andor."
The order also directed Disney to produce contracts for other actors, including "Ahsoka" lead actor Rosario Dawson and actor Carl Weathers, who played a key supporting role in "The Mandalorian" in the years immediately preceding his death.
Carano and her attorney Gene Schaerr asserted the ruling marked a significant moment in the case that began two years ago, as the information will allow her legal team to accurately assess how much financial harm Carano may have actually suffered when Disney terminated her from "The Mandalorian."
Carano has asserted the information will also reveal how Disney allegedly "discriminated" against her.
"This case goes far beyond me," Carano said in a post on the social media platform X.com.
"It is not just for people who agree or disagree with everything or even anything I've said. Just even filing this case has forced Disney to check themselves and I believe it's already helped to protect others."
Carano said the ruling meant Disney could no longer slow-walk the case. She asserted Disney's legal maneuvers - which she called "Disney dragging its feet" - have already resulted in the possible trial date for the case being moved back to the spring of 2026, when Carano asserted the court had initially aimed for September.
"It's such a punch in the gut for an artist but I remain positive about the future," Carano said in her post.
In a separate X post on his own X profile, Shaerr added: "The order shows the court won't let Disney bury relevant information in this high-stakes battle by playing procedural games."
Disney and Carano have been at odds in court since Carano filed suit in 2023, accusing Disney of violating her rights by firing her from "The Mandalorian" in retaliation for her online speech expressing conservative political views.
Carano has been backed in her lawsuit by billionaire Elon Musk, who pledged to lend such financial aid to anyone who lost a job for statements made on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, which is owned by Musk.
In the lawsuit, Carano asserts her abrupt firing from "The Mandalorian" series in February 2021 violated California's political discrimination law, which provides broad protections against employers terminating employees over their political speech.
The lawsuit also claims Disney discriminated against her on the basis of sex, because the studios did not similarly take action against Carano's male co-stars, including Pedro Pascal and actor Mark Hammill, who portrays Luke Skywalker, both of whom have persistently expressed left-wing statements online, which, she notes, carry the potential to be as culturally divisive as a lightsaber blow to the arm.
For two of "The Mandlorian's" three seasons, Carano portrayed the character of Cara Dune, a former Ranger of the Rebel Alliance, who had turned mercenary, but was persuaded by The Mandalorian to turn legitimate. The series is styled as a space Western in the famous "galaxy far, far away."
Carano's character proved highly popular and marked a new high point in her acting career, who had previously been widely known as an accomplished mixed martial arts fighter.
Carano claims Disney recognized the popularity of the Cara Dune character, offering her a starring role in a planned "Mandalorian" spinoff series, "Rangers of the New Republic." According to her lawsuit, Carano expected to be paid at least $150,000 per episode for the next six years, which she asserted would have been in line with Disney's reported pay structure for other regulars performing on series for Disney's streaming platform.
For its part, Disney has not confirmed Carano's story in court filings, instead calling her claims regarding a "starring role" and a spinoff series mere "speculation" on Carano's part.
However, in 2020 and 2021, amid societal unrest and riots, Carano publicly expressed statements on social media and elsewhere in opposition to the support Disney had expressed for the left-wing uprising under the banner of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Further, Carano refused to join her name to the long list of Hollywood celebrities expressing support for LGBTQ causes, notably including the favor showered by Hollywood and American corporations on the transgender rights movement.
Carano then became the target for blowback online, where she was repeatedly called a "racist" and a "transphobic bitch" for not including pronouns in her social media biography.
Carano was also attacked online for questioning the decisions of California Gov. Gavin Newsom and former President Joe Biden and other Democratic governors and officials to continue lockdown-style orders and restrictions in the name of fighting Covid-19, and particularly restrictions on churches and other religious gatherings.
Throughout the online assault, Disney did not defend Carano's right to speak. Rather, Carano says the company forced her to participate in long meetings and calls, at times with trans activists, "demanding an explanation and criticizing her for not embracing what some see as mandatory solidarity with a vocal element of the transgender activist community."
However, following the 2020 presidential election, when Carano posted an online message appearing to question the validity of Biden's victory over Donald Trump, the actor came under renewed online assault and a hashtag campaign demanding Disney fire Carano.
Within weeks, Disney and Lucasfilm announced they were terminating Carano, claiming she was “denigrating people based on their cultural and religious identities." Carano asserts that claim is false, saying "she was doing just the opposite, opposing such denigration and targeting of people just because they hold different beliefs."
Carano further has claimed Disney's and Lucasfilm's actions have resulted in her being blacklisted in Hollywood.
Disney failed in its bid to dismiss Carano's lawsuit.
The company had argued it was actually Carano's lawsuit that was the threat to the First Amendment. They asserted a ruling for Carano would unconstitutionally limit its ability to hire and fire creative talent and force the company to affiliate with speech and political and social opinions it finds distasteful.
A federal district judge rejected those arguments, however. The judge called Disney's interpretation of the First Amendment in this case was dangerous, noting it would give companies like Disney wide powers to police the political views and First Amendment activities of workers.
The judge also blocked Disney's attempted appeal, saying the case was not yet ready for an appeal.
Carano had argued Disney was inappropriately attempting to secure an appeal to win a quick dismissal and avoid turning over documents and other evidence sought by Carano in the case.
In the months since, Carano has sparred with Disney over access to the contracts and other financial information and documents the actor's lawyers have said are needed to establish their case and shape the scope of their demands.
On April 2, Carano's lawyers filed a motion to compel in court, saying Disney's alleged delay tactics had gone on long enough. While they noted talks had not broken down, they said a court order was needed to force Disney to allegedly stop stalling.
In response, Disney said it believed Carano's document demands were too broad. While they agreed Carano should have access to "certain compensation-related information," they objected to what they characterized as Carano's demand to be "given carte blanche to probe highly confidential and commercially sensitive nonparty actor contracts and film and series budgets and profits."
They noted her list of demands had included access to contracts for other actors in other recent Star Wars films, who did not have any relation to "The Mandlorian," including the stars of Star Wars' so-called "Sequel Trilogy" films.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Steven Kim did not grant Carano access to that information, as well as other documentary evidence she had sought.
But Judge Kim agreed Carano should receive a chart showing pay for actors appearing in several of Disney's Star Wars TV series, as well as complete contracts for several lead and supporting actors in those series.
The order gave Disney 20 days to comply.