HBO Max is making a major return to San Diego Comic-Con 2026 with immersive fan activations, Hall H panels, exclusive merchandise, and an advance screening of House of the Dragon Season 3.

From stepping inside Stuart Bloom’s iconic comic shop to training with the Green Lantern Corps, fans will have multiple opportunities to experience some of HBO Max’s biggest upcoming series before they premiere.

Step Into Stuart Fails to Save the Universe

Launching Thursday, July 23, HBO Max will debut an immersive fan experience inspired by Stuart Fails to Save the Universe, the highly anticipated Max Original spin-off set in The Big Bang Theory universe.

Guests will enter Stuart’s Comic Center of Pasadena, where the familiar comic shop becomes a portal into a multiverse filled with interactive moments, character-driven choices, and plenty of surprises.

Visitors can expect:

A portal walkthrough into multiple realities
Interactive story-driven experiences
Hero archetype discovery
Replica props from the series
Exclusive merchandise
Personalized collectible takeaways
Photo opportunities

Experience Details

Location: Sparks Gallery
530 Sixth Ave., San Diego

Dates & Hours

Friday, July 24: 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, July 25: 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, July 26: 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Thursday, July 23: 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Stuart Fails to Save the Universe Hall H Panel

Fans can also attend an exclusive Hall H presentation featuring the cast and creators.

The panel includes:

Chuck Lorre
Zak Penn
Bill Prady
Kevin Sussman
Lauren Lapkus
John Ross Bowie
Brian Posehn

Moderated by Felicia Day.

Attendees will enjoy an exclusive advance screening of the series premiere along with behind-the-scenes stories and surprise announcements.

Panel Details

Date: Thursday, July 23
Time: 2:15–3:15 p.m.
Location: Hall H

Earlier that day, the cast and creators will appear for a signing at the DC Booth (#4544) from 12:30–1:00 p.m.

Train to Join the Green Lantern Corps

Beginning Thursday, July 23, HBO Max invites fans to test their courage inside the Lanterns Training Headquarters, an immersive activation inspired by the upcoming DC Studios series Lanterns.

Visitors will travel to the fictional town of Rushville, Nebraska, where they’ll complete a series of Green Lantern training exercises before discovering whether they have what it takes to wield the ring.

Experiences include:

Interactive training missions
Target practice
Trust challenges
Maze navigation
Escape room-style mysteries
Sheriff’s office and dive bar environments
Snapchat-powered Green Lantern mirror
Custom Green Lantern ring giveaway
Exclusive Lanterns merchandise

Throughout Comic-Con, HBO Max will also partner with local Gaslamp businesses for surprise swag drops and offer a Lantern Recharge Station, where fans can cool off and recharge their phones.

Lanterns Training Headquarters

Location: Venue 808
808 J Street, San Diego

Hours

Thursday, July 23: 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Friday, July 24: 11:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Saturday, July 25: 11:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Reservations open Monday, July 13 at 9:00 a.m. PT on HBO Max’s official website. Guests must be 18 years or older to participate.

Lanterns Hall H Panel

DC fans won’t want to miss the Hall H presentation celebrating the upcoming HBO Max series.

Panelists include:

Kyle Chandler
Aaron Pierre
Garret Dillahunt
Poorna Jagannathan
Chris Mundy
Damon Lindelof
Tom King

Fans can expect never-before-seen footage, behind-the-scenes stories, and an exclusive look at the upcoming DC Studios series.

Panel Details

Date: Friday, July 24
Time: 1:30–2:30 p.m.
Location: Hall H

House of the Dragon Season 3 Advance Screening

HBO Max will close out Comic-Con with a special advance screening of Episode 6 from Season 3 of House of the Dragon.

The screening will include an introduction by co-creator and showrunner Ryan Condal.

Screening Details

Date: Saturday, July 25
Time: 10:00–11:15 p.m.
Location: Room 6DE, San Diego Convention Center

With immersive activations, Hall H presentations, exclusive merchandise, and an advance screening from one of television’s biggest fantasy series, HBO Max is bringing one of its most ambitious Comic-Con lineups to date.

Stay tuned to Second Union for continuing San Diego Comic-Con 2026 coverage, including Hall H news, offsite experiences, interviews, and the biggest announcements from the convention.

ABOUT STUART FAILS TO SAVE THE UNIVERSE
Comic book store owner Stuart Bloom is tasked with restoring reality after he breaks a device built by Sheldon and Leonard, accidentally bringing about a multiverse Armageddon. Stuart is aided in this quest by his girlfriend Denise, geologist friend Bert, and quantum physicist/all-around pain in the ass Barry Kripke. Along the way, they meet alternate-universe versions of characters we’ve come to know and love from “The Big Bang Theory.” As the title implies, things don’t go well. The series stars Kevin Sussman (Stuart), Lauren Lapkus (Denise), Brian Posehn (Bert), and John Ross Bowie (Kripke). The series, from Chuck Lorre Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television, is created, written, and executive produced by Chuck Lorre, Zak Penn, and Bill Prady. Kyle Newacheck is executive producer and directs multiple episodes.

ABOUT LANTERNS
Based on DC comic characters from “Green Lantern,” LANTERNS follows new recruit John Stewart and Lantern legend Hal Jordan, two intergalactic cops drawn into a dark, earth-based mystery with cosmic ties as they investigate a murder in the American heartland. HBO in association with Warner Bros. Television and DC Studios. The LANTERNS pilot is co-written by Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof, and Tom King, who are co-creators for the series. Mundy serves as showrunner. The first two episodes are directed by James Hawes, with Stephen Williams, Geeta Vasant Patel and Alik Sakharov also tapped to direct. The series is executive produced by Mundy, Lindelof, James Gunn, Peter Safran, King, Ron Schmidt, and Hawes. Based on the DC comic characters from “Green Lantern.”

ABOUT HOUSE OF THE DRAGON S3
Based on George R.R. Martin’s “Fire & Blood,” the series, set 200 years before the events of “Game of Thrones,” tells the story of House Targaryen. Season three cast includes Matt Smith, Emma D’Arcy, Olivia Cooke, Steve Toussaint, Rhys Ifans, Fabien Frankel, Ewan Mitchell, Tom Glynn-Carney, Sonoya Mizuno, Harry Collett, Bethany Antonia, Phoebe Campbell, Phia Saban, Jefferson Hall, Matthew Needham, James Norton, Tom Bennett, Kieran Bew, Kurt Egyiawan, Freddie Fox, Clinton Liberty, Gayle Rankin, and Abubakar Salim. Co-Creator/Showrunner/Executive Producer, Ryan Condal; Co-Creator/Executive Producer, George R.R. Martin; Executive Producers Sara Hess, Melissa Bernstein, Kevin de la Noy, Vince Gerardis, David Hancock, Philippa Goslett. Based on George R.R. Martin’s “Fire & Blood.”

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