Chuck Lorre, co-creator of The Big Bang Theory, has explained why he chose comic book store owner Stuart Bloom, played by Kevin Sussman, to headline the franchise's newest spin-off, "Stuart Fails to Save the Universe." Lorre said Stuart was deliberately "the absolute worst choice" to be a hero, arguing that this unlikely premise is precisely what made him the right lead for the show, which premieres on HBO Max.

In the series, Stuart must prevent a "multiverse armageddon" after accidentally breaking a device built by Sheldon Cooper and Leonard Hofstadter, sending him and his friends across alternate universes. The spin-off, created by Lorre alongside Zak Penn and Bill Prady, reunites Stuart with fellow Big Bang Theory characters Bert (Brian Posehn), Denise (Lauren Lapkus) and Kripke (John Ross Bowie). Lorre said Sussman was his choice "right from the very beginning," while Sussman himself has admitted that leading his own spin-off was unexpected.