Cartoon Network’s Peabody Award-winning series Steven Universe earned a huge following in the 2010s for its unusual mix of rich and complicated space opera with tight stories about life in a small beachside town, along with its commitment to pushing the boundaries of queer representation in children’s television. After concluding its run with a movie, a limited series tied up loose ends and examined what life was like after the main conflict was resolved. Now, creator Rebecca Sugar is returning to that world with Steven: Universe Lars of the Stars, a sequel series in development for Prime Video.
Lars Barriga (Matthew Moy) had quite a journey on Steven Universe. An insecure punk kid who worked at Big Donut in Beach City, his primary concerns were originally maybe having a crush on his coworker and trying to impress the cool kids in town. Then he wound up being abducted alongside the show’s eponymous hero Steven (Zach Callison) and taken to the homeworld of the Gem Empire, an ancient species that conquers planets across the galaxy.
[Ed. note: Major spoilers follow for Steven Universe.]
While captive, Lars got the chance to grow as a character, abandoning the fears that held him back on Earth to protect Steven and a group of gems called the Off Colors who don’t fit into the Gems’ rigid caste system. Lars’ heroism costs him his life, but Steven used his powers to resurrect his friend, leaving him with pink skin and a greatly extended lifespan. Lars helped Steven escape but opted to stay behind to help the Off Colors. When Steven next encountered him, he’d become Lars of the Stars, a Star-Lord-like space pirate leading the Off Colors on missions to defy the Gem Empire.
According to a press release, Steven Universe: Lars of the Stars will continue that story and explore the past, present and future of the series’ world by following the teen outlaw and his crew as they “smuggle contraband, evade the authorities, and uncover the darkest secrets of the fallen Gem Empire.” Sugar and her husband (and fellow Steven Universe producer) Ian Jones-Quartey will serve as executive producers on the show.
