Disney CEO talks Gina Carano firing, saying Disney stands for ‘values that are universal’

Bob Chapek says he does not see Disney as ‘left-leaning or right-leaning’

Disney CEO Bob Chapek has addressed the firing of Gina Carano from the Disney+ show The Mandalorian.

In a Tuesday shareholders meeting, a caller in the Q&A portion asked Mr Chapek if Disney had a “black list”, insinuating a query around whether Carano had been targeted by Disney for her conservative politics.

In his response, he said that he did not see Disney as “left-leaning or right-leaning” and that the company represents “values that are universal: values of respect, values of decency, values of integrity and values of inclusion. And we seek to have the content that we make reflective of the rich diversity of the world we live in. And I think that’s a world we should all live in harmony and peace”.

Earlier in February, LucasFilm announced that Carano would not feature in future seasons of the hit Star Wars spin-off series, where she played Cara Dune, a former rebel gunner. The news came shortly after the actor shared a post on Instagram that likened being a Republican in the US today to the experience of Jewish people during the Holocaust.

In its statement, LucasFilm described Carnano’s social media activity as “abhorrent and unacceptable”.

Carano later spoke out in an interview with right-leaning website The Daily Wire, where she said that she felt she had been “head-hunted” by Disney because she “wasn’t going along with the narrative”.

“I was prepared at any point to be let go, because I’ve seen this happen to so many people. They don’t get to make people feel like that ... and if I buckle, it’ll make it okay for these companies, who have a history of lying, to be lying and to do this to other people ... and I’m not going down without a fight.”