The breakout success of Helldivers 2 has brought renewed focus on the game's major inspiration: Paul Verhoeven's Starship Troopers, loosely based on the Robert Heinlein novel. Even though Arrowhead's done a good job of making the Helldivers universe feel like its own thing, it wears its love for this movie on both shoulder pads, and the game is packed with references and tributes.
Starship Troopers generally has been having a good time of late, with contemporary audiences re-discovering one of Verhoeven's typically OTT masterworks alongside some half-decent Starship Troopers games appearing. But it's Helldivers that has really stepped on the gas and ever since its launch Casper Van Dien, who starred as Johnny Rico in Starship Troopers, has shown more than an interest in getting involved.
