SPOILER ALERT! This post contains details from Thursday night’s episode of HBO Max‘s Stuart Fails to Save the Universe.
As the title of this week’s episode (“Spoiler: We Couldn’t Get Green Lantern”) suggests, the creators of Stuart Fails to Save the Universe really did want the Green Lantern to be at the center of the show’s DC comic crossover.
Unfortunately, the man without fear was already booked.
“They told us we couldn’t have him because of [HBO’s live-action series] Lanterns, which I understood,” Zak Penn, one of the series’ creators, revealed to Deadline. “Chuck [Lorre] 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.”
Like Penn says, the episode ultimately sees Stuart (Kevin Sussman) and his friends stuck inside a comic book, where Mr. Freeze is terrorizing Gotham City. To get out of that dimension, they go off in search of Golden Age Flash for help.
“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.
If it seems kind of backward that the gang would trek all the way to Central City to enlist The Flash to help them take on a villain in Batman’s territory, that’s the point. The writers reveled in the opportunity to poke fun at the more far-fetched notions accepted in comic lore.
“Bill [Prady] 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.”
Penn is surely considered the superhero expert of the group as a Marvel vet who also famously wrote a script for a Suicide Squad film that went unused. However, he says his fellow creators Prady and Lorre, as well as several of the other writers, had their own affinity for DC comics to draw upon for the episode.
He and the writers thought a commentary on how a layperson would navigate a comic locale like Gotham City “seemed like the perfect sense of humor for our show.”
“If you were in the DC universe, it would be pretty boring a lot of the time because you’d just be sitting around waiting for planes,” he laughs, adding that the irony is there’s also a bit about that exact notion in an early episode of Lanterns.
That other DC show didn’t steal all Stuart‘s thunder, though, and in fact there is plenty that the comedy series can get away with that its drama counterparts cannot in that the writers can lean into the quirks of these convoluted superhero universes rather than shy away.
“One of the things about this show that’s really fun is that you know when you work on an actual comic book movie, you really have to be rigorous about the consistency of the reality, because people will pick you apart if you’re not, and on this show we kind of took the attitude of ‘we’re going to purposely break things and then have the characters notice that the multiverse doesn’t work as well as it should,’” Penn explained.
Similarly, Penn says the episode could adopt a visual style more consistent with comic books without asking the audience to do more work suspending their disbelief.
“[Director] Robbie McNeill deserves a lot of credit, because he really added a bunch of stuff, like the way the frames panel at certain points, which is something that I don’t always think is effective. Back in the early days of comic book movies, when people did that, I think it really took you out of it,” Penn told Deadline. “But this show’s sense of humor needs that, so it was really helpful.”
The writers worked closely with DC’s Jim Lee to develop the versions of the comic characters that appear in Thursday’s episode. Lee teased the partnership over the summer at San Diego Comic-Con, assuring the audience in Hall H that the DC IP would be in good hands with the Stuart team.
“Some of the DC characters they have in it, I think are some of the best versions I’ve seen of those characters, and so I’m super excited for you guys,” Lee said at the time.
Penn, who had previously collaborated with Lee and the DC team on Ready Player One, remembered the Stuart reteam fondly: “They were great. They basically said, ‘How can we help? Other than we won’t give you Green Lantern.’”
The series has already been renewed for a second season ahead of next week’s Season 1 finale. Penn tells Deadline he “would be shocked” if the writers didn’t once again mine from the DC universe in future episodes, but Season 2 is still in early stages.

Alexandra Daddario is soaking up some time away after a year of major changes.
The 40-year-old actress shared a series of vacation photos on Instagram Wednesday, including two shots of her relaxing outdoors in a blue and white gingham bikini.
Daddario opened the Instagram carousel reclining on a cushioned lounge chair while looking directly at the camera. She wore the checkered two-piece with her long brunette hair loose and swept across one side of her face.
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The “White Lotus” star appeared to keep the look natural and accessorized simply with a silver ring as she leaned on one arm for the close-up shot.
“Vacation details,” Daddario captioned the post.
A second photo captured Daddario from a different angle as she stretched out on the same chair. She rested her head against one arm while peeking toward the camera, offering another look at the pale blue gingham swimsuit.
Fans quickly took notice of the vacation photos.
“If she broke my heart i would apologize…,” one person joked.
“We missed the Daddarios,” another commented.
“Your not allowed to look so good effortlessly @alexandradaddario,” another fan added.
Daddario traded her swimsuit for a more dressed-up look elsewhere in the carousel.
In a mirror selfie, the “Baywatch” actress posed barefoot in a cream-colored matching set covered in a bold floral and bird print. The look featured a sleeveless fitted top and floor-length skirt, with a cutout along one side of her waist.
Daddario held her phone in one hand and stretched her opposite arm above her head against the wall as she captured the full look.
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The vacation glimpse comes seven months after Daddario and film producer Andrew Form announced the end of their marriage.
A representative for Daddario confirmed the split to People in February after more than three years of marriage.
“Alexandra Daddario and Andrew Form have made the decision to end their marriage,” her representative told the outlet.
“The decision was made with love and respect,” the statement continued. “They will continue to co-parent their child together and appreciate privacy as they navigate this transition.”
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Daddario and Form married in New Orleans in June 2022 after making their relationship Instagram official the previous year.
The former couple welcomed their first child together, a son, in October 2024. Form also shares two sons with his ex-wife, actress Jordana Brewster.
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Daddario had previously opened up about her journey to motherhood, revealing in a 2024 interview with Vogue that she experienced a pregnancy loss before welcoming her son.
“It’s long and complicated, so I don’t want to be too specific,” she told the outlet at the time. “Those kinds of losses and trauma are very hard to explain unless you’ve been through them.
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“I really relate to all the women who have been through those kinds of things in a way that I didn’t understand fully before. It’s very, very painful.”
The actress has remained busy professionally amid the changes in her personal life.
Earlier this month, Daddario stepped out during New York Fashion Week for Montblanc’s 100 Years of Leather celebration at the Crane Club in Manhattan.
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Speaking at the event, Daddario reflected on how her outlook has evolved as she’s gotten older.
“When I was younger, I never wanted to use them,” she told WWD while discussing the luxury items she once saved for special occasions. “I didn’t want to use the best skin care product. I didn’t want to use my fancy bag.
“And now that I get older, I’m like, ‘I’m alive. Things are meant to be used. You use them until they wear out, and that’s what’s good about them.'”

Guitar Center has been caught in the growing fallout surrounding Macklemore’s removal from Ed Sheeran‘s tour following the Seattle rapper’s statements onstage in support of Palestinians amid Israel’s war in Gaza.
The company’s “Open for Legends” contest launched on Monday, Sept. 14 — which happened to be the same day Macklemore was removed from The Loop Tour. The competition is open to anyone over 18 with a valid U.S. passport and experience performing in front of a live audience. Per the website, it’s a “brand-new competition series elevating undiscovered musicians to a global platform” with the opportunity to open for Sheeran on his stop in Mexico City on Dec. 11.
Contest organizers will have their hands full, however. Entertainment Weekly previously reported that the current iteration of the contest’s website has no way of confirming whether or not a video contains a musician who genuinely wants to compete — many of the videos uploaded have reportedly been memes and non-musical videos showing support for Palestine and criticism for Sheeran.
On Thursday, Guitar Center addressed the debacle in a statement to Rolling Stone and said the “Open for Legends’ competition series was developed months prior to the controversy. “As with any open submission process, we received entries that were not legitimate applications to participate in the program,” said the company. “Those submissions will not be considered so that the opportunity can remain focused on musicians who are seeking to showcase their talent. We’re continuing to review and manage the program in accordance with its intended purpose and look forward to recognizing and supporting talented musicians through the initiative.”
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Following Macklemore’s removal from Sheeran’s trek, supporting acts on The Loop Tour withdrew from the roster including Finneas, Lukas Graham, and Aaron Rowe. “Artists must not be silenced when they speak up for the oppressed,” Finneas wrote on Instagram. “I have decided to withdraw from my upcoming tour dates with Ed Sheeran. I stand with Palestine and its people.”
With Sheeran currently left without opening acts, it looks like he’ll need the assist from the contest winner — assuming Guitar Center can sift through all the memes in time.

YouTube star Ms Rachel has said she is matching rapper Macklemore’s $1m donation to organizations supporting Palestinians, calling on other public figures to follow suit.
Macklemore, who was fired as the opening act on Ed Sheeran’s tour after saying “Free Palestine” on stage at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, pledged to donate the entirety of his earnings from Sheeran’s tour to several organizations focused on the Palestinian people.
Ms Rachel, whose full name is Rachel Accurso, wrote on Instagram: “Over 20,000 precious Palestinian children have been killed, and children continue to be killed every day.”
Accurso said her donation would go to the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund.
“We have a moral obligation to use our privilege and platforms to protect children and human rights,” she wrote.
Accurso, a children’s entertainer with over 21 million YouTube subscribers, has been vocal about the hardships Gaza’s young people face amid the war with Israel. She encouraged “every wealthy white celebrity” to match her donation.
Accurso is the latest public figure to back Macklemore, after he was dropped from Sheeran’s Loop tour for remarks he made at a 4 September concert about the plight of the Palestinian people.
“Free Palestine! I want those words to be loud and clear, so that people all the way in Gaza to the occupied West Bank know that we have not forgotten about them,” he said during a two-minute speech.
Macklemore’s words prompted a flurry of criticism from Israel-aligned groups. The singer Pink also called on Macklemore to be removed from the tour, and referenced a 2014 incident where he wore a costume decried for bearing resemblance to Jewish caricature. Macklemore apologized for the costume at the time.
Pink expanded on her position in an Instagram post, saying she was not speaking on behalf of the Israeli government, but rather wanted to advocate for Jewish concertgoers who may have been alarmed by the rapper’s remarks.
Macklemore directly addressed Jewish audience members at a second tour date on 5 September, saying: “Criticism of Israel, criticism of apartheid, being against genocide in no way is a criticism of you. My message is for peace, love; for all human beings to be treated with dignity, respect and equality.”
Sheeran has maintained the decision to fire Macklemore was led by stadium owners, including Gillette Stadium and New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft.
Sheeran wrote on Tuesday on Instagram: “I have my personal views on this devastating conflict. Just because I choose not to speak publicly, it doesn’t mean I don’t have them, and it doesn’t mean I don’t care. Nor does it mean I don’t support causes in my own, personal way.”
Kraft and Sheeran are both donating $2m each to Palestinian relief funds, Kraft said Wednesday, although it is unclear which organizations their funds will support.
Four supporting acts, among them American singer Finneas and Danish pop band Lukas Graham, have quit the tour in solidarity with Macklemore.

You won’t see a cantina band playing, but you will need to check your lightsabers at the door: The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art officially opens to the public Sept. 22, and with it comes Skywalker Grill, an American restaurant perched atop the sprawling $1 billion project from George Lucas and his wife, Mellody Hobson.
Much like the 300,000-square-foot museum — with a diverse collection that spans neoclassical art, manga, Banksy and beyond — Skywalker Grill isn’t dedicated to “Star Wars,” the director-producer’s most famous creation. The American restaurant’s name is more in tune with Lucas’ Marin County farm and film-production compound, Skywalker Ranch, though both are named for “Star Wars” protagonist Luke Skywalker.
For heavily themed intergalactic-inspired dishes, you need to drive to Anaheim where vendors at Disneyland’s Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge sell Grogu cookies and Bantha milk. Here at Skywalker Grill, overlooking Exposition Park and the skyline of downtown L.A., die-hard fans get a more personal taste of Lucas by way of ingredients from his own cattle farm, his own vineyard and even his own honeybees. He and Hobson also helped guide the dishes through multiple menu tastings and provided emotional insights and memories, resulting in items such as a chicken-and-mushroom crepe inspired by a Bay Area restaurant Lucas and his daughter love.
“It’s been incredible to be sitting at a table and talking food with George and Mellody,” said Diego Cardoso, a culinary director who helped bring the project to life. “You almost pinch yourself. You’re like, ‘How did my career bring me here?’ You could very easily see a seven-course tasting menu-only style restaurant there with that environment, but that’s not what the vision is. The vision has been clear from day one, and that is inclusivity, it’s approachability, the dishes that people connect to.”
Lucas and Hobson tapped Rhubarb Events & Hospitality Collection, a culinary firm acquired by investment firm Oak View Group, which operates food and beverage inside the Royal Albert Hall, Ensemble Arts Philly and London’s Sky Garden. Cardoso is the group’s global vice president of culinary and said he and his team signed on to guide the Lucas Museum’s food and beverage programs three or four years ago, and began presenting Lucas and Hobson with menu tastings at the onsite restaurant at Skywalker Ranch. From that restaurant Cardoso could look out the window and see sloping hills and Lucas’ Wagyu cows raised there on the farm.
Indeed, an early hit during member previews at Skywalker Grill is the $38 house burger, made with ground Skywalker Ranch Wagyu, grilled onions and aged cheddar on a brioche bun; servers’ arms carry three or four plates of them at once, and nearly every table is ordering it. Lucas’ Wagyu can also be found in steak format and in a pasta Bolognese. A representative said that the ranch is currently trying to double the size of its herd in order to accommodate the grill’s demands. Cardoso said he is in regular contact with the farm to dial in the restaurant’s needs.
The farm is also supplying its honey to the restaurant; accumulated at a small scale, the kitchen planned its use strategically. It’s found in a softened honey butter alongside house-made focaccia and sourdough. In the near future, expect to see Skywalker Vineyards wines, including rosé, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
The grill leans into comfort foods and Americana with crab cakes, spinach artichoke dip, a Lucas-favorite chopped salad, jumbo-prawn cocktails, mac and cheese, and pigs in a blanket. Some items, like the chicken tenders with ranch crème fraîche, can receive a caviar supplement. Dishes range from $13 to $65.
As with the culinary program, cocktails also incorporate California-grown produce, such as a gin-and-ancho verde tipple tinged with golden beets and garnished with a red beet chip that colors the cocktail red as the ice below it melts.
Though many items are favorites of the founders, the restaurant, Cardoso said, was built for everyone.
“It’s not a restaurant for George,” he said. “He’s the owner, he’s the man with the vision, but the success is having a restaurant that’s full with people of all ages at any time. If you have a kid in there and they draw on the table, fantastic. We want groups to enjoy themselves and have fun. And if you get loud groups, we’ve got an outside area. It’s a beautiful project to be a part of, and the setting is incredible.”
Cardoso said he obsessively tweaked dishes daily, aiming to find finishing touches that could separate Skywalker Grill as a museum restaurant and allow it to stand as a destination of its own. The restaurant is open past the museum’s hours, hoping to attract museumgoers, neighborhood locals and everyone in between.
Skywalker Grill marks his first West Coast project, which required learning California’s seasonality, its markets and its tastes. To help embed him in L.A.’s dining culture and lead the kitchen day to day, he hired Wally’s and Patina alum Ryan Kluver.
Guests check in at a designated host stand in the museum’s main lobby and are then whisked to a separate elevator for Skywalker Grill. Guests who arrive in costume are very much welcome, though if they’re sporting lightsabers, there is a strict check-at-the-door policy. Once inside, curved cherrywood ceilings and tree-like pillars tower over the tables, booths and bar for a cinematic effect.
Reservations for Skywalker Grill are already proving some of the hardest to land in L.A. When member previews began in early-to-mid September, tables filled up into November. As of Sept. 16, all seats are booked through the end of the year. The bar seating, however, is reserved for walk-ins and serves the full menu. The restaurant is also available for private-dining bookings with a room that can instantly tint its glass, hiding diners with the flip of a switch.
For those who can’t yet dine at Skywalker Grill, a more casual and affordable lobby cafe — also operated by Rhubarb Hospitality Collection — features stations serving some of Lucas and Hobson’s favorite foods: pizza, both New York-style and square; tacos; soft serve; salads; and sandwiches. Most items cost between $9 and $15 but some, such as a grilled cheese sandwich, can be found for as little as $2. That’s less than the cost of a ration pack in a galaxy far, far away.