It’s full steam ahead on the latest spin-off from “The Big Bang Theory.” The long-aborning sitcom — which was greenlit in 2023 — is slated to stream on Max, and now officially has a title. The moniker puts every eye in the room on Stuart Bloom (Kevin Sussman), but it looks like things will be less-than-rosy for everyone’ s favorite put-upon comic book store owner: the show will be called “Stuart Fails To Save The Universe.” 

Stuart had long been a magnet for misfortune in “The Big Bang Theory,” whether it was his comic book store burning down — albeit causing it to get a cool upgraded look in the process – his poor luck with women, or his inability to keep a domicile of his own. It looks like things will continue to be tough for him as the new sitcom rolls out. But as fans find out what happens to Stuart after “The Big Bang Theory” ended, casting for the new series hints he won’t be alone in battling the world’s vagaries. It looks like some familiar faces from his old social circle will be joining him every week.

It appears that the plot of Stuart’s spin-off will, at least in part, revolve around his life running The Comic Book Center of Pasadena, as several characters who were regulars in that setting are slated to pop up in “Stuart Fails to Save The Universe.” Three actors have signed up for the show, pending the sitcom making its way out of developmental workshopping. They are Brian Posehn, who played socially awkward rock-obsessed geologist Bert Kibbler on “The Big Bang Theory”; Lauren Lapkus, who essayed the part of fun-loving Denise; and John Ross Bowie, who played CalTech-employed plasma physicist, string theorist and ball of sarcasm Barry Kripke.

It will be interesting to see what, if anything, has changed for Denise and Stuart; as “Big Bang” fans know, during the course of that show, she takes a job at The Comic Book Center and, by the time the sitcom rolls to an ending, has become Stuart’s girlfriend. There’s no further word about other characters, relationship changes, or even a basic premise as of this writing. But with an official title now added to the program, it looks like it’s officially time for “Big Bang” fans to get excited about the future.