Summary

• Young Sheldon season 6 acknowledges the problem of actor aging, leaving audiences wondering "how old is young Sheldon actually supposed to be?"
• The show's pacing has been slowed down to prolong its storytelling, causing the actor problem, but this approach may not be sustainable.
• To keep up with the aging of the young cast, Young Sheldon season 7 may need a time jump to address the conflicting ages and solve other plot issues.

Warning! Spoilers ahead for Young Sheldon season 6.

Young Sheldon season 6 finally acknowledges a key actor problem that has to do with the question "how old is young Sheldon?". The Big Bang Theory prequel tackles Sheldon's childhood in Texas with his family. When the family comedy started, Iain Armitage, who plays the titular role, was nine years old — the same age as his on-screen character. Over the years, however, CBS opted to slow down Sheldon's aging process to prolong the series' storytelling. While this has worked for a while, the problems it has created are starting to hamper the show, with Young Sheldon season 6 admitting to a key issue that involves one of its actors.

The Big Bang Theory's popularity led to CBS ordering Young Sheldon, which allowed them to further capitalize on the nerd-centric sitcom's success even after it ended its run. Over the last few seasons, it has grown out of its parent series' shadow and developed its identity. However, the prequel nature of the series means that it has a pre-determined end as it moves up the established timeline. This is why CBS has been stagnating the show's pace, which is understandable but not sustainable. The changed pacing has led to a Young Sheldon actor problem, one that has audiences questioning "How old is young Sheldon actually supposed to be?".

Mary Acknowledges How Much Older Young Sheldon Is Now

The Big Bang Theory prequel continues Sheldon's attempt to get his grant database off the ground but without the help of East Texas Tech. This forces the Young Sheldon actor to pretend to be a grown-up in a phone call to convince potential investors to bet on his endeavor — a conversation Mary accidentally hears. Because Sheldon is trying to sound like an adult, his mother comments on how much she misses his baby voice. This mirrors the fans' sentiment about wondering "How old is young Sheldon actually?" considering how much Armitage has grown in the last couple of seasons but his character age has not caught up.

For context, Armitage is 15 in 2023, but Sheldon is around 11/12 years old in Young Sheldon season 6, causing many to ask "How old is young Sheldon?". Aside from his physical growth, Armitage's voice has also significantly dropped, which is normal for his age, but it makes it difficult to sell him continuously as a pre-teen. The same can be said for Armitage's on-screen twin, Raegan Revord, who plays arguably, the smartest Cooper kid, Missy. Understandably, CBS wants to keep Young Sheldon for as long as it can, but it may not have a choice but to speed up with its child actors aging out of their roles.

What Sheldon's Growth Means For Young Sheldon

Young Sheldon's version of Sheldon still has several years to go before intersecting with TBBT's. However, that isn't CBS' primary concern regarding pacing the prequel. Instead, it has more to do with the impending death of George Cooper, which happened when Sheldon was 14 years old, per his story on The Big Bang Theory. Losing the Cooper patriarch, preceded by the heartbreaking story about George's cheating, would significantly change Young Sheldon and its established dynamic, making it popular. It may even spell the end of the series, but sadly, CBS has no choice but to move forward with its storytelling.

Young Sheldon Season 7 Might Need A Time Jump

To keep up with the Young Sheldon actor age, it's possible that season 7 may need a time jump. The industry is currently up in arms as a whole. With the Writer's Guild (WGA) strike and the SAG-AFTRA strike, many are concerned that Young Sheldon season 7 will miss its typical fall release. Young Sheldon isn't alone in this, but as time marches on Iain Armitage and the rest of his young cast mates will keep getting older, despite their series canon ages remaining the same. After all, Armitage already is pushing the limits by presenting himself as an 11 or 12-year-old.

A time jump in Young Sheldon season 7 could work to solve multiple issues. The Young Sheldon actor age aside, George Sr.'s cheating scandal has been the slow-burn plot thread of the century and the show has another two or three years in the timeline before he passes away. It could serve several purposes to see a time jump in Young Sheldon season 7, albeit not a large one, as audiences are starting to become weary of plot threads established in The Big Bang Theory still not being paid off six seasons later. However, the greatest issue this would solve is that of Sheldon and Armitage's conflicting ages.