In a move that feels part fever dream, part quantum prank, HBO Max has officially ordered Stuart Fails to Save the Universe — a new comedy series spun out of The Big Bang Theory. And yes, it centers on Stuart Bloom, the comic book store owner who spent most of the original show hovering between broke, overlooked, and mildly pitied. Now he’s got top billing in a story that involves alternate realities, sci-fi chaos, and an ensemble of lovable weirdos trying to stop the end of everything. No pressure.
Chuck Lorre, Zak Penn, and Bill Prady — the trio behind both The Big Bang Theory and Young Sheldon — are approaching this like a sandbox full of comic book tropes, genre mythology, and dry jokes about cosmic collapse. The setup? Stuart accidentally breaks a device built by Sheldon and Leonard, triggering multiverse mayhem. Along with his girlfriend Denise, geology bro Bert, and everyone’s favorite nasal menace Barry Kripke, he’s got to patch reality back together. Naturally, it all goes sideways.
The cast includes returning Big Bang veteran Kevin Sussman (Stuart), Lauren Lapkus (Denise), Brian Posehn (Bert), and John Ross Bowie (Kripke). Sussman, already a series regular by season 6, brings grounded authenticity — he actually worked in a comic shop before landing the role. It feels like Sliders meets Community, funneled through a Big Bang filter with extra pop-culture debris.
The series has been in development for some time, but its finally becoming a reality.
Chuck Lorre says he wanted something radical — Stuart bungling time-space instead of just pulling long shifts behind the comic counter. Zak Penn’s rejoinder involved carrier pigeons, dirigibles, and Bill Prady frozen in ice. That’s the level of absurdity they’re embracing, complete with deep-cut nerd references that demand a glossary.
It’s too soon to say whether Stuart Fails to Save the Universe will become HBO Max’s next comedy killer app or just a fun backdrop while you sort your graphic novel collection. Either way, Stuart’s finally stepping out of Sheldon’s shadow — and the universe might never recover.
