Helldivers 2’s creative director spoke with the actor who played Rico in Starship Troopers, with both agreeing a crossover would be amazing. Fans are more than down for a new movie or in-game homage that bridges both universes.
Helldivers 2‘s explosive popularity has taken the internet by storm, with hundreds of thousands of players taking the plunge and getting fully invested in the Helldivers universe.
Server issues aside, reception has been incredibly positive – so much so that Helldivers 2 has inadvertently caused a rise in Starship Troopers’ popularity as fans go back to watch the original movie.
An interaction between Rico actor Casper Van Dien and Helldivers 2’s Creative Director has sparked a desire for some sort of crossover, either with Rico being in the game in some way or the Helldivers universe getting its own shoutout in a Starship Troopers movie.
Helldivers 2 fans want Starship Troopers crossover
Arrowhead CEO and Helldivers 2 Creative Director Johan Pilestedt has been very vocal on Twitter since the game’s launch, talking about everything from the game’s server issues and the team’s efforts to improve them, to wanting a Helldivers 2-themed tattoo to celebrate the game’s launch.
Pilestedt used an image from Starship Troopers to show off the concept Helldivers 2’s UI lead put together for a possible tattoo, leading to an interaction with Casper Van Dien, the actor who played Rico in Starship Troopers.
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Welcome to the Roughnecks!
— Casper Van Dien (@caspervandien) February 21, 2024
The two bantered a bit, leading to Van Dien saying he’d be down for a crossover movie, while Pilestedt asked if players would want a crossover in-game.
Let's start simple, I think we need some roughnecks in the game. Or what do you say, @helldivers2 community?
— Pilestedt (@Pilestedt) February 22, 2024
Reddit took this interaction and ran wild with it as players pointed out the ways in which they’d love to see these universes collide.
“So much potential! Voice overs! Special gear! Easter eggs!” one Redditor exclaimed.
Others discussed how possible it’d be to get a movie, pointing out that Sony technically owns both Starship Troopers and Helldivers. Though getting a movie in production would require a lot of logistical legwork, it may not be entirely out of the question.