IT: Welcome to Derry's main character decision is not what fans expected, especially after Episode 1's game-changing ending. Set in 1962, the prequel series from HBO Max brought fans back to the world of Pennywise the clown as he torments a new group of kids in Derry, Maine. While the movies highlighted the Losers' Club as the key protagonists, pinpointing the main character in the series proved to be a bit tricky, as the story has many moving parts.
Alongside the return of Pennywise (Bill Skarsgard), Welcome to Derry introduced several core characters (some of which has ties to the original Losers' Club from the IT movies), such as Major Leroy Hanlon, Lilly Bainbridge, Ronnie, Teddy Uris, Matty Clements, and The Shining's Dick Hallorann. This ensemble is crucial in telling the story of the prequel while also providing context about the events that happened in 2017's IT: Chapter One.
However, after the premiere seemingly killed off two of the main characters (Teddy and Phil), including the latter's sister, Susie, it was not clear who the show was focusing on as the primary protagonists.
Is Pennywise the Main Character of 'Welcome to Derry'?
While many expect Pennywise to be IT: Welcome to Derry's main character, this is not the case due to a report from entertainment insider Daniel Richtman claiming that Pennywise the Dancing Clown won't show up in his full form until Episode 5 of the prequel series.
Although IT has a looming presence in the prequel series, the fact that its true form will only appear midway through the season (the series has eight episodes) suggests that Pennywise is not the main character of IT: Welcome to Derry, despite him being the main face of a good chunk of the show's marketing efforts.
So, Who Is the Main Character In 'IT: Welcome to Derry'?
IT: Welcome to Derry has an ensemble cast, with Lilly Bainbridge (Clara Stack) front and center in the show's original poster and the second altered poster that was released after Episode 1 seemingly killed off Teddy, Phil, and Susie, replacing them with Rich, Marge, and Will Hanlon.
Based on her positioning in both posters, it's reasonable to assume that Lilly is IT: Welcome to Derry's main character, which makes sense because she appears to be Pennywise's best target during this time. Lilly is still grieving from her father's tragic death, and she has a history of being admitted to Juniper Hill Asylum (the same mental facility where Henry Bowers was sent to in the IT movies).
Some have theorized that Pennywise could end up manipulating Lilly to do his bidding, similar to how he orchestrated Henry Bowers to kill the Losers' Club in both movies and the novel (although he ultimately failed). Interestingly, the show's main cast billing has Lilly's actress (Clara Stack) far down behind many other actors. Jovan Adepo, who plays Major Leroy Hanlon, is listed first, making him the main adult character of the show.
"Jovan Adepo, Taylour Paige, Chris Chalk, James Remar, Stephen Rider, Blake Cameron James, Arian S. Cartaya, Amanda Christine, Matilda Lawler, Clara Stack, Madeleine Stowe, Rudy Mancuso, and Bill Skarsgård."
Major Hanlon being IT: Welcome to Derry's main character is not what fans expected, as it wasn't anticipated that one of the adults would be the co-lead character, based on the trailers, which primarily focused on the kids.
This move is also surprising because IT: Chapter One primarily focused on the kids, with the adults being sidelined, as Pennywise's true targets are children, who are easy prey due to their fear. Some have also assumed that Welcome to Derry would mirror the movie and novel's original structure of mainly centering the story on the children, with adults as distant echoes of Derry.
Based on what is shown in the first two episodes of Welcome to Derry, Leroy Hanlon as the main character makes sense because his story brings him closer to Pennywise due to his involvement with Operation Precept (a military operation tasked to find a dangerous weapon, which is later revealed to be Pennywise himself).
Leroy Hanlon is also the perfect adversary against Pennywise because his damaged amygdala, resulting from the Korean War, means that he cannot feel fear. An eventual clash between the two opposing forces is expected to be in the cards, and what makes this battle interesting is the fact that 2017's IT: Chapter One confirmed that Leroy is still alive in 1989. This meant that Leroy either backed off to protect his family or something tragic happened (like his wife's death) that made him the broken man fans saw in the first movie.
