'Starship Troopers' Johnny Rico Actor Wants A Reboot Series Like 'The Mandalorian'

Casper Van Dien, the actor who played Johnny Rico in Starship Troopers, wouldn't say "no" to a revival in the style of The Mandalorian.

In an interview with Inverse, it transpired that Van Dien has been ruminating on the possibility for a while, and added that a reboot "would fit so well in today's climate." Starship Troopers is set in the 23rd century, where humanity is in the process of colonising new planets and discovering new homes for their future. However, their efforts are complicated by the "Bugs," ugly and savage aliens who are at war with mankind, though there is evidence that they are only responding to the humans' aggressive incursions into their corner of the galaxy. Johnny Rico is a member of the Mobile Infantry, and over the course of the film, he and his companions learn that the Bugs are being directed by a Brain Bug, who reacts to the humans' strategies and knows how to undermine them. Suffering heavy losses, the humans ultimately triumph over the aliens and take the Brain Bug hostage to experiment and study its biology.

You might not have seen Starship Troopers, but if you've spent any time on the internet, you'll recognise the "I'm doing my part!" gif which comes from the end of the film. It's part of a propaganda recording encouraging young people to join the armed forces. Oh yeah, in this future, you'll only be able to be a citizen if you agree to serve in the military. It's this sort of political satire that Van Dien believes would resonate in the 2020s, as it was a little confusing in the 1980s. He's also keen for directors like Quentin Tarantino, Edgar Wright, James Wan, and Robert Rodriguez to give the possible series a whirl.

"I think that all those directors, it would be fun, to have them come in and do an episode or two or three, or an arc, or something like that," explained Van Dien, referring to a session at the Scream Awards where these directors and the actor spoke on their love for the film. "I think it would be fun if we had that kind of thing where it's real filmmakers making the thing. That would be my goal." This is reminiscent of the structure of The Mandalorian, where the overarching story is written by one person, but it's interpreted differently by different directors for each episode. It's worked for Disney, and if it ain't broke... I'll bet there are countless fans who'd leap out of their seat at the news of a Starship Troopers series.

Buena Vista International

And where would Van Dien like to be when the cameras are rolling? "I think it would be nice to have Old Man Rico back," he said. "I think it would be fun to have some young blood in there but still have one old crotchety old man in there like me." We'll keep you in the loop as and when we learn more.

Topics: News, The Mandalorian