Stuart Fails to Save the Universe Wanted Green Lantern, Got GA Flash

Posted in: HBO, Max, TV | Tagged: stuart fails to save the universe, The Big Bang Theory

Stuart Fails to Save the Universe Wanted Green Lantern, Got GA Flash

Stuart Fails to Save the Universe co-showrunner Zak Penn on why Warner Bros didn't clear DC's Green Lantern, but approved using The Flash.

Published Fri, 18 Sep 2026 11:37:08 -0500
by Tom Chang
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Last updated Fri, 18 Sep 2026 12:13:59 -0500
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Article Summary

• Stuart Fails to Save the Universe wanted Green Lantern for episode 9, but Warner Bros blocked it because of HBO’s Lanterns.
• Co-showrunner Zak Penn said The Flash became the better fit, with Jay Garrick helping the gang jump across dimensions.
• The penultimate Stuart Fails to Save the Universe episode sends Stuart and company to Gotham City for a DC-heavy meta romp.
• Penn said Golden Age Flash’s sillier vibe and Mr. Freeze’s mismatch added to the comic book humor driving the episode.

Stuart Fails to Save the Universe makes no apologies about being the most meta Warner Bros. live-action TV series, as The Big Bang Theory spinoff sci-fi comedy taps deep into its library, from The Matrix to the DC universe, to weave into its storytelling, as its latest and penultimate season one episode, "Spoiler: We Couldn't Get Green Lantern," demonstrates. As the title suggests, creators Chuck Lorre, Zak Penn, and Bill Prady attempted to feature Green Lantern in the episode that sees our heroes: Stuart (Kevin Sussman), Denise (Lauren Lapkus), Bert (Brian Posehn), and Kripke (John Ross Bowie) stumble upon Gotham City and run into Mr. Freeze (Eric Allan Kramer), but later saved by the Jay Garrick incarnation of The Flash (Andy Ridings). Penn spoke to Deadline about the complications and pushback they received from Warner Bros. regarding their initial pitch.

Stuart Fails to Save the Universe: Getting The Flash Instead of Green Lantern in Penultimate Episode

"They told us we couldn't have him because of [HBO's live-action series] Lanterns, which I understood," Penn said. "Chuck was a little grumbly about it, but Bill and I pointed out to him that Flash was actually perfect. If we needed something that's going from dimension to dimension, Flash worked even better than Green Lantern." As the four are being chased, they travel to Century City to find Garrick, the Golden Age Flash, since the character knows a thing or two about traveling through space and time with the cosmic treadmill he uses.

"It was half opportunity and half what they encouraged us, but Golden Age Flash appealed to us a lot, just because he's kind of silly. No offense to Golden Age Flash," Penn said. The Golden Age incarnation was the first Flash, but the primary difference from the more modern Barry Allen and his full red costume with subtle yellow highlights is Garrick's signature metal helmet with lightning bolts on the sides, a more prominent yellow bolt on his red shirt, and blue pants.

"Bill and I were laughing a lot [about] the whole notion of Gotham City isn't where New York City is, which makes no sense," Penn said. "All those things were just kind of built up humor and things that we felt about comic books. So, the next obvious decision was, in terms of a villain, let's put the villain who seems right and that people know more, and then have our characters comment on the fact that he's the wrong villain for this piece."

Using The Flash does work out, since Jim Parsons's Sheldon Cooper in The Big Bang Theory wears the shirt with the hero's logo in several episodes as a fan of the franchise created by Gardner Fox and Harry Lampert in 1940. For more, including Penn speaking about his previous experience in comic book projects, getting the details, and whether they'll tap into the DC well for season two, you can check out the entire interview. The season finale of Stuart Fails to Save the Universe streams September 24th on HBO Max.

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