REVIEW: “Stuart Fails to Save the Universe” Provided Immersive Fun at San Diego Comic-Con 2026

HBO Max didn’t just bring one great offsite to San Diego Comic-Con this year, they brought two. Alongside Lanterns Training Headquarters, the studio also delivered Stuart Fails to Save the Universe, an interactive adventure that dropped fans inside one of the most recognizable locations from The Big Bang Theory universe: Stuart Bloom’s comic shop, The Comic Center of Pasadena. From the moment you stepped inside, it felt like you’d walked onto the set. Two employees welcomed guests into the shop, handed over membership cards, and explained that Stuart had stepped out for a bit. Unfortunately, he’d also misplaced a mysterious device built by Sheldon and Leonard. Naturally, that meant it was up to us to find it. A pre-recorded video message from Stuart himself kicked off the adventure before guests were sent into the main room, where a variety of interactive stations awaited, with lots of fun easter eggs for fans of the series throughout. Rather than forcing everyone through the exact same sequence, the experience was built around several choose-your-own-adventure style challenges unlocked with your membership card, which meant everyone had a unique experience, and kept attendees from...