There’s only one show on the 2026 TV schedule that could actively destroy the universe as we know it, or at least only one with a comic book shop owner serving as its titular maybe-hero. I’m talking, of course, about Stuart Fails to Save the Universe, the impending comedy spinoff of perhaps the most successful sitcom of the 21st century. One of the biggest reasons to get excited is the fact that it’ll go hard on Big Bang Theory easter eggs, though maybe not the most normalized ones.
The new series’ co-star Lauren Lapkus knows a thing or two about the flagship series, having joined in Season 11 as Stuart’s assistant manager-turned-love interest. So she knows that audiences are going to be jazzed to recognize those callbacks when the new shows starts streaming (via HBO Max subscription.) Speaking with People about reprising Denise 7 years after the OG series ended, she says longtime fans will be pleased:
I mean, I'm so excited for them to see it because we have a lot of characters that are familiar to them. There's a lot of good easter eggs, throwing back to the first series.
Lauren Lapkus
It may not be the most detailed spoiler in the world, but it aligns with what we already know about Stuart Fails to Save the Universe. The series’ plot kicks into gear when Stuart accidentally breaks a highly complicated device developed by fan-fave characters Sheldon and Leonard, which sets up a multiversal armageddon that only Stuart and his loyal compadres (which also includes Brian Posehn’s Bert) can stop. Probably. Or not.
As we saw in the wild first trailer, the streaming comedy will present alt-universe versions of familiar characters, with Stuart 2.0 being the catalyst for this adventure. Though I can imagine that many fans are eager to see John Ross Bowie’s Supreme Ruler Barry Kripke.
Arguably the biggest easter egg question that fans have had during the extended development and production comes down to the Sheldon and Leonard of it all, as OG stars Jim Parsons and Johnny Galecki have yet to be confirmed to appear. I’m optimistic about it, though I wouldn’t be surprised if the characters popped up in animated form, with the actors reprising the roles that way as opposed to live-action.
Speaking of such surprises, Lapkus continued, indicating that each episode will be its own reality-tweaking adventure, saying:
And then it's also this whole new thing. Each episode is so unique. We're saving the universe and failing it, so we're messing up the universe in each episode and we end up in a different reality. So everything changes in each episode, and I think people are going to be really surprised and delighted with it.
Lauren Lapkus
Oh man, now I know what my biggest hope for the spinoff is. Given that Kaley Cuoco wasn’t super-pumped about how Penny’s story wrapped, it'd be cool to see what Penny’s life is like in parallel universe. However, I’m really, really hoping that we get to see a reality where the original pilot actress Amanda Walsh’s character Katie lived across the hall from the guys for all those years instead of Penny. That might be too over the top, though...
Check out the trailer below if you haven't watched yet.
Find out what all the easter eggs are when Stuart Fails to Save the Universe debuts on HBO Max on Thursday, July 23.
