SDCC ’26: Stuart may fail to save the universe, but you’ll have fun trying

This is a public service announcement. I am a huge Big Bang Theory fan. But I am a bigger fan of the lovable doofs who never get their day in the sun. So, when I saw Stuart and Bert finally get their buddy show, the stars were aligned. Naturally, I had to check out the San Diego Comic-Con Stuart Fails to Save the Universe off-site activation (530 Sixth Ave at the Sparks Gallery).

First stop: a recreation of Stuart’s comic gallery, but not the one viewers are familiar with on BBT. This one is sparse, with posters of DC superheroes, a few comic books scattered here and there, and two guys enthusiastically championing Stuart behind the registers.

You won’t find Denise. You won’t find any of the usual suspects in the shop. Just these two guys handing out membership cards to visitors at the register, keeping watch on video over a strange device that looks like a leftover Star Wars prop, its screen flickering quietly.

Then the unthinkable happens. A portal opens, and Stuart is in dire straits, narrating the backstory of what happens in the upcoming sitcom. Visitors are herded through the portal, into another room with instructions on finding Stuart and trying to save the universe, then through a dark, interdimensional hallway, and into a version of Stuart’s comic shop somewhere in the BBT multiverse.

It’s here that I take my handy dandy membership card and work my way choose-your-own-adventure style through the various timelines that Stuart and his buddies—who include Denise, Kripke, and other friends—hop into. And the scenarios are so zany and out there that it’s worth the trip just to see where they go.

And there are real comic books! Bins of back issues center the room, but not ones you can casually take. One can imagine Sheldon, Leonard, Raj, and Howard just standing around, idly flipping through them.

Having unsuccessfully saved the universe, we’re all thrust into yet another room with the aforementioned Star Wars lookalike device, where we look up into the light for a moment of clarity, then ushered home to our home world (yet another iteration of the comic book shop), where we’re pleasantly rewarded with the fruits of our labors.

It’s a cheesy, fun adventure that was an absolute delight for this BBT fan—one I wouldn’t mind queuing up for again, if the rest of Comic-Con weren’t pulling me in a dozen other directions. This is one you definitely do not want to miss.

The Stuart Fails to Save the Universe activation will be open Saturday, July 25 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. PT and Sunday, July 26 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. PT. The activation is free and open to the public and does not require a SDCC badge for entry.

Stay tuned to The Beat for more news from SDCC ’26.