Big Bang Theory Spinoff 'Stuart Fails to Save the Universe' Premieres at Comic-Con with DC Crossover Tease

Comic-Con return after six years

The cast and creators of "Stuart Fails to Save the Universe" brought the Big Bang Theory franchise back to San Diego Comic-Con on July 23, six years after the original series made its final appearance at the convention. Kevin Sussman, Lauren Lapkus, John Ross Bowie and Brian Posehn, all reprising their roles from the CBS sitcom, joined co-creators Chuck Lorre, Bill Prady and Zak Penn on the Hall H stage after a screening of the premiere episode. Felicia Day hosted the panel, which drew a large crowd of fans eager for the first new Big Bang story since the mothership ended its 12-season run in 2019.

A single-camera sci-fi twist

Unlike the multi-camera format of "The Big Bang Theory" and its family-sitcom prequels "Young Sheldon" and "Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage," the new HBO Max series is shot like a movie, Lorre explained. "The four-camera audience show is putting on a play every week, and beyond sitting on a couch and talking to one another, there's not a lot you can do," he said. "I wanted to do a lot. The simple solution to that was to shoot it like a movie." The logline describes comic bookstore owner Stuart Bloom accidentally triggering a multiverse apocalypse after breaking a device built by Sheldon and Leonard, then jumping between alternate realities with his girlfriend Denise, geologist Bert, and physicist Kripke to restore normalcy. The show's 10-episode first season includes battle scenes, A.I. overlords, wizardry, and at one point the main characters reincarnated as centaurs. It is the fourth series in the Big Bang universe, produced by Chuck Lorre Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television, with Kyle Newacheck executive producing and directing multiple episodes.

DC crossover and Jim Lee's surprise

DC Comics Publisher and Chief Creative Officer Jim Lee made a "drive-by" appearance to announce a DC-focused episode and revealed that the trailer already shows Mr. Freeze. Lee said he was initially expecting a standard sitcom setup but was "blown away" by the visual effects and bespoke elements added to Stuart's comic book store.

It was completely not what I was expecting, I was expecting a multi-cam setup where they were sitting around, and then they start showing the visual effects that they were going to do, and all the bespoke elements they added to the store.

Lee also praised the overall arc of the 10 episodes, calling it "super ambitious" and comparing it to "nerds going through Gulliver's Travels." He created the cover for an exclusive "Stuart Fails to Save the Universe" comic book featured in the show, and said some of the DC characters in the series are "some of the best versions I've seen."

More Big Bang alums promised

Bill Prady confirmed that the first episode already includes a surprise appearance from a Big Bang Theory family member, and that additional familiar faces will return throughout the season.

There are more, and there are also some performers who are some wonderful minor characters that are coming back.

Critical reception and Sussman's leading role

Early reactions are mixed. Vulture's review described the series as "painful at nearly every turn, a grim death march through a series of overworn jokes and wall-spaghetti plotting." The review noted that the opening scene, set in a postapocalyptic wasteland where customers trade canned food for comics, is one of the show's best jokes, but found the overall execution lacking. Meanwhile, the New York Times profiled Kevin Sussman, 55, who steps into his first leading role after decades of supporting parts on "Ugly Betty," "Better Call Saul" and films like "Hitch." Sussman said he had no grand career plan beyond "keep working and do interesting roles" and joked about making his health insurance. Reflecting on 17 years playing Stuart, he noted, "I go by the hair on my head -- I had a lot more of it, and it was a different color." The series premieres weekly on Thursdays at 6 p.m. PT on HBO Max.