HBO Max's Big Bang Theory spinoff Stuart Fails To Save the Universe killed off another original cast member in its third episode, with Wil Wheaton's character dispatched by magic. It marks the second death of a returning original actor within the show's opening episodes, following Kunal Nayyar's character being shot in the premiere, as the series leans into a world where magic is real and brings back familiar faces from the flagship sitcom.

In the episode, Wheaton appears as a representative of the Wizards Guild of America who confronts Stuart (Kevin Sussman) over Bernadette (Melissa Rauch) regaining her demon powers after being expelled from the guild. Bert (Brian Posehn) shields Stuart from Wheaton's fireball attack, triggering a magical duel that wrecks the comic book shop set and ends with Wheaton's character dying. Wheaton, Posehn and John Ross Bowie spoke to Deadline about filming the elaborate fireball fight sequence, and Wheaton revealed he asked costume designer Valerie Klarich to add an Easter egg referencing his Fawkes character from Felicia Day's series The Guild.