Stuart Fails to Save the Universe

Stuart Fails to Save the Universe is an American science fiction comedy television series built by Chuck Lorre, Zak Penn, and Bill Prady. The series is the fourth television series in The Big Bang Theory franchise, and the second direct spin-off of the sitcom The Big Bang Theory. It premiered on HBO Max on July 23, 2026.

Overview§

Stuart Fails to Save the Universe is an American science fiction comedy television series built by Chuck Lorre, Zak Penn, and Bill Prady. The series is the fourth television series in The Big Bang Theory franchise, and the second direct spin-off of the sitcom The Big Bang Theory. It premiered on HBO Max on July 23, 2026.

Premise§

After accidentally damaging a device that Sheldon Cooper, Leonard Hofstadter and Howard Wolowitz had built, Stuart Bloom (Kevin Sussman) is tasked with averting a resulting "multiverse Armageddon" whilst encountering versions of himself and his friends in different universes.

Main§

Kevin Sussman as Stuart Bloom / Alternate Stuart Bloom Lauren Lapkus as Denise Brian Posehn as Bert Kibbler John Ross Bowie as Barry Kripke

Supporting§

Ryan Cartwright as Kyle Josh Brener as Trevor Tommy Walker as Gary Riki Lindhome as Alternate Ramona Nowitzki Brian Thomas Smith as Alternate Zack Johnson Matty Cardarople as Keith Louis Mustillo as Alexa Joshua Malina, who portrayed Caltech President Siebert in the original series, will also appear in an undisclosed role. Jon Cryer also appears.

Special guest stars§

Kunal Nayyar as Alternate Raj Koothrappali Penn and Teller as themselves Kaley Cuoco as Alternate Penny Christine Baranski as herself Melissa Rauch as Alternate Bernadette Rostenkowski Wil Wheaton as Alternate Wil Wheaton

Development§

On April 12, 2023, HBO Max revealed that an untitled The Big Bang Theory spin-off was in early development at Max, built by The Big Bang Theory co-creator and executive producer, Chuck Lorre. The spin-off series was formally announced at the 2023 Warner Bros. Discovery upfront presentation by HBO and Max CEO and chairman, Casey Bloys. Bloys did not mention any plot details or who the series would focus on from The Big Bang Theory series, but it was reported that the series would have a new cast, with former The Big Bang Theory cast members to appear in guest roles. Actor and director Jonathan Frakes is involved in the show. Robert Duncan McNeill directs episodes. In October 2024, it was reported that the spin-off would focus on Stuart Bloom, the owner of the comic book store, Comic Center, who appeared as a recurring supporting character in The Big Bang Theory. It was announced that the spin-off would be titled Stuart Fails to Save the Universe in March 2025. In July 2025, HBO Max officially gave Stuart Fails to Save the Universe a series order. Lorre described the series as a "science fiction action-adventure comedy", and said of its creation, "I just wanted to do something that challenged me, that I was uncomfortable and in unfamiliar territory and the special effects stuff, the computer graphics, all those things. [...] Most of my career has since been two people sit on a couch and talk." in February 2026.

Casting§

In October 2024, it was reported that Kevin Sussman, Brian Posehn, and Lauren Lapkus, who played Stuart Bloom, Bert Kibbler, and Denise, respectively, on The Big Bang Theory would be reprising their roles from the series, and had also signed talent holding deals with Warner Bros. Television for the spin-off. In February 2025, it was announced that John Ross Bowie would be reprising his role as Barry Kripke, with Bowie also signing a talent holding deal with Warner Bros. Television. In August 2025, Ryan Cartwright, Josh Brener, and Tommy Walker joined the cast as recurring guest stars.

Filming§

The series started filming in September 2025, and concluded in February 2026.

Release§

The series premiered on HBO Max on July 23, 2026, with a new episode debuting on a weekly basis.

Critical response§

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds an approval rating of 76%, based on 41 reviews, with an average of rated reviews of 6.8/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Stuart Fails to Save the Universe manages to brighten up its franchise through a genre-bending all-things-go sitcom that has the comedic chops to satisfy." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 62 out of 100 based on 19 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.

Title sequence§

Stuart Fails to Save the Universe gained attention for its title sequence, which begins by breaking the fourth wall and asking the viewer to not use the "Skip Titles" function. The visuals of the title sequence change with each episode, and each episode features a new arrangement of the theme song by composer Danny Elfman. Series creator Chuck Lorre stated that the title sequence was built this way to encourage viewers to watch it before every episode, due to his distaste for modern streaming services allowing viewers to skip intro sequences. Writing for Kotaku, Kenneth Shepard notes that the title sequence's visuals appeared to be possibly AI-generated. The shows creators have not said whether the title sequence is AI or not.