Wil Wheaton joins Big Bang spin-off teaser

Wil Wheaton has appeared in a new teaser for Stuart Fails to Save the Universe, the upcoming The Big Bang Theory spin-off. The HBO Max series premieres on July 23 and will run for 10 episodes.

Washington: Wil Wheaton has been shown in a newly released teaser for Stuart Fails to Save the Universe, the upcoming spin-off set in the world of The Big Bang Theory, adding another familiar face from the original sitcom to the expanding franchise.

In the preview released by HBO Max, Wheaton appears briefly about halfway through the reel. The teaser shows him inside Stuart’s comic book store, where he seems to fire an energy blast at Stuart, Denise, Bert and Barry Kripke. Wheaton was a recurring presence in The Big Bang Theory, where he played an exaggerated version of himself and became one of Sheldon Cooper’s best-known rivals.

It is not yet clear whether Wheaton will return as the same fictionalised version of himself seen in the original series or as an alternate-universe variation connected to the new show’s multiverse plotline. The series is due to debut on July 23. Its first season will run for 10 episodes, with HBO Max set to release new episodes weekly on Thursdays.

Storyline and returning characters

According to the official synopsis, the story follows comic book store owner Stuart Bloom, played by Kevin Sussman, who accidentally sets off a multiverse crisis after damaging a device built by Sheldon and Leonard. He then sets out to restore reality with his girlfriend Denise, played by Lauren Lapkus, geologist Bert Kibbler, played by Brian Posehn, and physicist Barry Kripke, played by John Ross Bowie.

The series is expected to feature alternate-universe versions of characters from The Big Bang Theory, an idea that Wheaton’s appearance appears to reinforce. Another actor returning from the original franchise is Joshua Malina, who played Caltech president Siebert and was also seen in an earlier trailer for the new show.

Stuart Fails to Save the Universe is the latest project to build on the long-running sitcom’s world, with the teaser offering fans another indication that several recognisable figures from the original series may be part of the new story.