*Warning – contains major spoilers for Stuart Fails to Save the Universe episode 1.*
The first episode of The Big Bang Theory spin-off Stuart Fails to Save the Universe is here, and as promised it features a major returning character making an appearance right out of the gate.
Beyond the four main stars of the series – Kevin Sussman as Stuart, Lauren Lapkus as Denise, John Ross Bowie as Kripke and Brian Posehn as Bert – episode 1 also featured the surprise return of Kunal Nayyar as Raj, who was seen being kept prisoner by Kripke, before being shot and killed in that particular reality.
Now, speaking at the show‘s San Diego Comic-Con panel, co-creator Bill Prady has teased that there are more returns for the original show’s stars in the offing.
“Well, you saw one wonderful member of the the Big Bang Theory family in that first episode,” he said. “There are more, and there are also some performers who are some wonderful minor characters that are coming back.”
It was also confirmed that there will be a DC-focused episode of the series, with DC Comics’ publisher and chief creative officer Jim Lee confirming that the team “requested some DC characters to be involved in an episode.”
Stuart Fails to Save the Universe follows Sussman’s titular character, as he is tasked with restoring reality after accidentally bringing about a multiverse Armageddon.
In an exclusive interview with Radio Times, Sussman revealed that his character was never meant to be as big as he became in The Big Bang Theory, and was originally intended to be a very different figure.
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He explained: “I think originally, in the first episode that Stuart appears, he was more of like a straight [man], like a normal guy that was supposed to be a threat to Leonard, really. He had a business, and he was kind of charming, asks Penny out on a date…
“[But] then over the years, the character sort of devolved and his world unravels, and as the other characters – the main characters from Big Bang Theory – evolved in their careers and their relationships, Stuart’s sort of a counterbalance to that as his world continues to deteriorate.”
Stuart Fails to Save the Universe continues on HBO Max on Thursdays in the US and Fridays in the UK.
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Authors
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
