The Big Bang Theory Universe blows up in a big way with the upcoming new spin-off, Stuart Fails to Save the Universe. In the new series, comic book store owner Stuart Bloom (Kevin Sussman) and his friends are on a quest to restore reality after Stuart breaks a device built by Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons) and Leonard Hofstadter (Johnny Galecki) that triggers a multiverse armageddon. Recently revealed casting news for the spin-off series reveals that two alumni of the flagship series are set to appear in the spin-off. Deadline reports that Josh Brener has been cast in the role of Trevor, and Ryan Cartwright will portray Kyle, one of Stuart’s usual customers at the comic shop. Both Brener and Cartwright appeared in earlier episodes of The Big Bang Theory, but as completely different characters. It’s time to explore the potentially huge implications of the casting news.
The Intriguing Connection Between ‘Stuart Fails To Save the Universe’ and Cole’s Lone Appearance
Cartwright only made one short appearance in the Season 6 episode, “The 43 Peculiarity,” as Cole, Penny’s (Kaley Cuoco) former community college classmate. Leonard was still insecure about dating Penny at the time, so he felt jealous of Cole, a handsome British guy. Cole only appears in one scene, where Leonard attempts to convince Cole that Penny’s boyfriend is a scary gang leader. There is an eerie connection between that episode and the premise of Stuart Fails to Save the Universe. The B-plot of the episode features Raj Koothrappali (Kunal Nayyar) and Howard Wolowitz (Simon Helberg) attempting to find out what Sheldon does every day in a hidden room at their university.
When Sheldon learns about Howard and Raj’s spying, he sets up a fake video, revealing that he has discovered alternate dimensions, which he explores using wormhole portals. However, it was all just a ruse to trick Howard and Raj. Sheldon simply wanted to hide his new hobby, playing hacky sack. The ironic part of all this is that in Stuart Fails to Save the Universe, Sheldon and Leonard have seemingly created a device that unlocks alternate dimensions across the multiverse. Even though the crude, goofy video Sheldon created to trick Raj and Howard was merely a charade, it looks like Sheldon and Leonard still bring that same concept to fruition in the spin-off. Additionally, The Big Bang Theory has never delved so heavily into the realm of science fiction before. This is speculation, but maybe the future premise of Stuart Fails to Save the Universe is a potential alternate timeline of an infinite number of possibilities. Think Marvel’s What If…?, except it’s in The Big Bang Theory Multiverse.
Are Brener and Cartwright’s New Characters Merely a Coincidence?
The casting news regarding Brener and Cartwright is interesting because, despite both actors’ previous work on The Big Bang Theory, they are not reprising their earlier roles. Brener appeared in the original series more than once as Dale, the socially awkward and eccentric employee who also worked for Stuart at The Comic Center. Granted, Brener and Cartwright’s roles in The Big Bang Theory were minor and easy to ignore, but now, the multiverse concept presents a narrative method to revisit their earlier characters of Cole and Dale. The series could also play around with the idea of variants of familiar characters, similar to Marvel’s Loki.
The official show materials for Stuart Fails to Save the Universe explain that Stuart and his friends will meet “alternate-universe versions of characters we’ve come to know and love from The Big Bang Theory.” What if the existence of Brener as Trevor and Cartwright as Kyle is part of that? Perhaps Stuart Fails to Save the Universe begins in an alternate universe separate from the original series, allowing for references to the actors’ past roles. It would be very amusing if the show played around with the actors referencing their alternate characters from The Big Bang Theory Multiverse.
Denise Gets a New Boyfriend in ‘Stuart Fails to Save the Universe’
The weirdest part of Deadline’s recent casting news is that Tommy Walker has also been cast in the spin-off as Kyle, who is said to be “Denise’s handsome new boyfriend.” Additionally, the original press release for the show writes that Denise (Lauren Lapkus) is Stuart’s girlfriend, suggesting something changed from when the show was announced to now. Stuart and Denise were still together when Stuart made his last appearance on The Big Bang Theory, so the reveal of Denise having a new boyfriend sounds peculiar. Perhaps Stuart and Denise getting back together and fixing their relationship is part of the show’s ongoing storyline.
Nevertheless, it’s rather sad to hear that Denise and Stuart broke up, likely off-screen. Considering Stuart was always so depressingly lonely and single, it was great to see him finally get a girlfriend who perfectly complemented him. Even if Denise and Stuart have broken up when the show begins, hopefully, they will eventually resume their romance. That said, it’s still puzzling why the initial announcement about Stuart Fails to Save the Universe listing Denise as Stuart’s girlfriend conflicts with the latest casting news. Perhaps the conflicting information stems from the multiversal premise, or maybe Stuart’s break-up with Denise partially explains why he breaks the device that causes the multiversal armageddon. Making Stuart and Denise the new Penny and Leonard pairing in the spin-off is fine, as long as co-creators Chuck Lorre, Zak Penn, and Bill Prady can figure out a smart way to eventually get the couple back together.
Stuart Fails to Save the Universe is currently in the works to stream on HBO Max at a later date. Meanwhile, fans can revisit Stuart on The Big Bang Theory, with all twelve seasons of the flagship series available on the streamer in the U.S.
