After two low-budget live-action sequels, the franchise switched gears and began producing animated films, such as the most recent entry in the series, 2017's Starship Troopers: Traitor of Mars. Both it and its predecessor, Starship Troopers: Invasion, received a decent reception from fans and are generally higher-quality efforts than the two live-action sequels. Traitor of Mars was planned for the 20th anniversary of Starship Troopers' original run and featured two returning cast members, Casper Van Dien as Johnny Rico and Dina Meyer as Dizzy Flores. The plot sends Rico to the red planet to train recruits before an arachnid invasion engulfs the world in chaos. Dizzy returns as a telegraphic projection from Carl Jenkins, played by Neil Patrick Harris in the original and voiced by Justin Doran in Traitor of Mars.
Critics praised the serviceable visuals, returning cast members, and frequent callbacks to the original. The Hollywood News said, "Starship Troopers: Traitor of Mars is a nostalgic throwback that will keep avid fans of the original entertained." Fans were slightly kinder to Traitor of Mars than the two live-action sequels, with Rotten Tomatoes audiences ranking the film at 31%.
