Stuart Fails To Saves The Universe Trailer: The Big Bang Theory Universe Goes Full Sci-Fi

"An alternate version of me came from another universe and explained how I can undo the apocalypse." That line, uttered by Kevin Sussman's protagonist Stuart Bloom, kicks off the first full-length trailer for the "Big Bang Theory" spin-off "Stuart Fails to Save the Universe" ... and it looks like this show is going full sci-fi.

Created by Chuck Lorre, Zak Penn, and Bill Prady (Lorre and Prady co-created "The Big Bang Theory," and Penn created "Alphas" on the SyFy network, among other projects), "Stuart Fails to Save the Universe" obviously centers around Stuart, the lovable and often down on his luck comic book store owner from "The Big Bang Theory," as he tries and fails to save the universe by hopping through different timelines. Sussman is joined by his former "Big Bang Theory" supporting players Lauren Lapkus, John Ross Bowie, and Brian Posehn reprising their respective roles as Denise, Barry Kripke, and Bert Kibbler ... and, in a fun twist, we learn that Bowie's Barry Kripke is known as the "Supreme Ruler" in at least one of the timelines.

This series marks a huge departure for "The Big Bang Theory" and its previous spin-offs for a few reasons — and all of that is, actually, quite exciting. (We got to see a teaser trailer back in May that led us to believe that this particular "Big Bang Theory" spin-off might be ... good, actually.) Not only does the first trailer for "Stuart Fails to Save the Universe" promise some truly exciting adventures, but it also takes this entire franchise in a fresh, fun new direction.

If you've ever watched "The Big Bang Theory" (which I have, in its entirety), then this trailer might feel really different to you. For one thing, there's no laugh track, which comes, frankly, as an enormous relief. Even though the first spin-off and prequel "Young Sheldon" ditched this antiquated device, the spin-off of that show, "Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage," went backwards. It's refreshing, in that vein, to see "Stuart Fails to Save the Universe" embrace an apparent single-camera setup, drop the live studio audience, and leave the laugh track behind.

So, what can we expect from this show? It looks like Stuart, Denise, Bert, and Barry have some sort of ability (or device, depending on what that air conditioner-shaped thing Stuart can be seen carrying around) to jump into different timelines and realities, including one where a cartoon pig taunts Stuart or where Stuart nearly plummets to his death falling from an ice-covered cliff. There's also a sort of post-apocalyptic action-movie vibe in some of these universes — though, true to form, Stuart remarks that he's "kind of new to the action genre" and doesn't have a plan for that particular gambit — and by and large, this looks like a huge departure from what we've seen from the "Big Bang Theory" universe thus far. Again, this is great news, because this sitcom franchise badly needed a shake-up.

I wouldn't call myself a fan of "The Big Bang Theory, per se, but again, I've seen the series in its entirety ... and I know enough about the television landscape to respect that this little show about a bunch of dorks hanging out with a pretty girl became one of the biggest pop culture sensations of all time. That fact makes it utterly unsurprising that projects like "Young Sheldon" and "Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage" exist, because people — especially people watching classic network channels like CBS — will watch them.

"Stuart Fails to Save the Universe," though, looks straight-up ambitious, which is not an adjective that I would use to describe either of the previous "Big Bang Theory" spin-offs or, for that matter, the original series. Sure, part of that is because this show is an HBO Max original, which provides more creative freedom ... but there's also a sense of adventure and exploration, both literal and figurative, in all of the footage we've seen from "Stuart Fails to Save the Universe." The fact that Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady teamed up with a sci-fi guy like Zak Penn doesn't feel like an accident; after "The Big Bang Theory," these two showrunners and producers clearly wanted to branch out, and I'm genuinely excited to see the results.

Stuart Bloom might fail to save the universe, but I'm ready to declare that "Stuart Fails to Save the Universe" might save the "Big Bang Theory" universe from total stagnation. This exciting new series premieres on HBO Max on July 23, 2026.