Everything has changed for Steven and the Crystal Gems after the Season 5 finale of “Steven Universe,” but fans still have to wait a bit to see just what everybody has been up to since that episode.

Working on the “Steven Universe” movie has required “a completely different mindset,” said creator Rebecca Sugar at the L.A. Times video studio at San Diego Comic-Con over the weekend. “It’s so much bigger. It’s a musical, so it’s not just like making eight episodes put together. It’s like making eight ‘Mr. Gregs’ put together” cohesively.

The movie’s first trailer revealed there’s a time jump between the show’s most recent episode and the events of “Steven Universe The Movie,” which is partly why Steven has a whole new look.

“Two years have passed when the movie begins. But in general it’s been difficult for Steven to mature without being on solid ground that he’s his own person,” said Sugar. “So everything is different after ‘Change Your Mind.’ ”


She added: “We’ve always hotly debated within the crew just how Steven’s head connects with his body. So getting to draw his neck is really cathartic for all of us. I was a little surprised that fans were as excited about his neck as we were.”

Sugar remained mum about what the rest of the Crystal Gems may have been up to since they thwarted the last threat, but the cast had some theories.

“I think Pearl did a lot of laundry. A lot of cleaning house,” said Deedee Magno Hall. “I think she opened a laundromat with karaoke.”

Michaela Dietz thinks Amethyst would have picked up the hobby of following around U.S. Postal Service workers.


She’d be “going around saying hi to everybody,” said Dietz. “Small chitchat, not a full convo. She’s moving and grooving, and she just likes to be a lady out on the town.”

Estelle thinks that Garnet also would have spent some time out and about.

“I think Garnet would probably go off to be an explorer and be mildly unenthused about everything she finds out,” said Estelle.

Sugar capped off the interview with a performance of “Love Like You.” Watch it in the video above.