Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady’s next The Big Bang Theory spinoff has a replacement for every member of the Pasadena gang — except 1. Despite the franchise already thriving with its period pieces, Young Sheldon and its own sequel spinoff, Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage, the creators are confident that a story set in modern times is necessary, hence the new project. Officially titled Stuart Failed To Save The Universe, specific plot details about the project are still tightly under wraps. That includes how it actually ties to The Big Bang Theory beyond its characters knowing Sheldon and his friends.
There are some pertinent information about the show, however, that has already been confirmed. For starters, Stuart Failed To Save The Universe would be a streaming show on Max instead of airing on CBS like its predecessors. This will mark the first time that an installment of the franchise won’t be a network project since The Big Bang Theory kicked off in 2007. Secondly, the main cast of Stuart Fails To Save The Universe has been announced: Kevin Sussman’s Stuart, Lapkus’ Denise, Brian Posehn’s Bert Kibbler, and John Ross Bowie’s Barry Kripke.
The Big Bang Theory Spinoff Has A Replacement For All Pasadena Gang Members Except Howard
Stuart Has His Own Friend Group Now
Shockingly, the cast of The Big Bang Theory spinoff recently gathered for their very first table read. Looking at the ensemble and reminding their respective characters in the original show, I realized that each one represents a player from the inaugural ensemble. Stuart is awkward but lovable like Leonard was. His relationship with Denise being central to the offshoot’s storytelling makes Lapkus the new Penny. Aside from that, she’s also the only female lead role, at least at the beginning of Stuart Fails To Save The Universe. Kaley Cuoco was in the same boat before Melissa Rauch and Mayim Bialik were cast.
Kripke’s arrogance is reminiscent of Sheldon’s, why they never got along. Both think so highly of themselves without realizing their own flaws. The Big Bang Theory even highlights the similarities in terms of their limited physical abilities, which was one of the most fun plots in the show. Finally, Bert’s gentleness is similar to Raj’s. Both didn’t get to have as many narratives in the nerd-centric sitcom, but they are less aggressive and agitated than the rest of the cast.
This means that only Howard has no clear counterpart in Stuart Fails To Save The Universe. What makes this observation more interesting is that originally, Sussman was cast as the sleazy astronaut/engineer. Originally, he auditioned to play Sheldon, opposite Bowie’s version of Leonard. However, when that didn’t work out, Sussman tried again to play Howard, but while Lorre and Prady both gave him the role, his prior commitment forced him to drop out of the project as a lead, resulting in Simon Helberg taking over the part.
Why Introducing A Howard Counterpart Is Tricky For The New The Big Bang Theory Spinoff
Howard Was A Very Problematic Character
It’s no secret that out of all the cast members of The Big Bang Theory, Howard was the one who started out as the most problematic. Sheldon may have been snide, snooty, and just downright cruel sometimes, but because of his poor emotions and social skills, he was always given a pass. The idea was that hurt people wasn’t intentional for him. Howard, on the other hand, was sleazy and sometimes, even sexually inappropriate. He used to hit on women by making lewd comments, including Penny and even Missy. He only changed when he started a serious relationship with Bernadette.
Despite Howard’s character progression, it’s still tricky for Stuart Fails To Save The Universe to introduce his counterpart. Doing so opens the show to intense backlash — something that The Big Bang Theory retroactively experienced. Even now, it’s difficult to revisit some of the earliest seasons of the nerd-centric sitcom and see how blatantly disrespectful Howard was then. Even Helberg has admitted to the flaws of the character upon its inception. The Big Bang Theory was able to improve on some of the unacceptable aspects of Howard, but it couldn’t fully fix his history.
For context, everyone from the cast of Stuart Fails To Save The Universe was released later in the original show.
Aside from that, the nerd-centric sitcom didn’t introduce any other character who was even remotely similar to him. For context, everyone from the cast of Stuart Fails To Save The Universe was released later in the original show. Stuart was introduced late in season 2, while Denise hadn’t been on the show long before The Big Bang Theory finale. In-between, Kripke and Bert joined the series. That said, none of the subsequent characters in the sitcom are reminiscent of Howard. This is why, even if Stuart Fails To Save The Universe wanted to, it would be tricky to have its own version of Howard.
Can Howard Appear In Stuart Fails To Save The Universe?
Howard Had A Close Relationship With Stuart
With the end of Young Sheldon, Jim Parsons has been vocal about fully retiring Sheldon. This means that the chances of him appearing in Stuart Fails To Save The Universe are very slim to none. That being said, several other cast members of The Big Bang Theory have been vocal about being open to any way that they can step back into the franchise, particularly via reprising their roles in the upcoming spinoff, including Mayim Bialik and Kaley Cuoco.
However, assuming that the situation remains the same from where The Big Bang Theory ended its run, anyone from the original cast can be a part of the show. That said, considering Stuart’s closer relationship with Howard and Bernadette, it’s much easier to see them return.
In terms of narrative, it’s difficult to predict how the Pasadena gang can appear in Stuart Fails To Save The Universe. Specific plot details about the offshoot remain unclear, and the title doesn’t really give any idea about what to expect from the show other than Sussman’s character being its focal point. However, assuming that the situation remains the same from where The Big Bang Theory ended its run, anyone from the original cast can be a part of the show. That said, considering Stuart’s closer relationship with Howard and Bernadette, it’s much easier to see them return.
Ultimately, it will all boil down to Lorre and Prady’s story, however. While The Big Bang Theory cameos would be exciting and nostalgic, they would want the new spinoff to have its own identity so it could succeed beyond its ties to the flagship series. Perhaps it would be better if Stuart Fails To Save The Universe focuses on establishing itself first during its first year, and then brings in the cameos for its potential sophomore year.
