IT: Welcome to Derry Season 2 needs another strong cast to emulate Season 1's success on HBO Max, and I'm convinced these five actors are a natural fit due to their experience and impressive resumes. HBO has officially greenlit Welcome to Derry for Season 2, confirming that the series will go 27 years further back in the timeline, straight to 1935. The show's debut season already provided the first preview of IT: Welcome to Derry Season 2 in Episode 6, revealing a black-and-white aesthetic and a grim look at Pennywise's reign of terror during this time period. In order for the usual dread to work in the IT prequel series, Season 2 needs a new group of talented children who will have to carry the fear, friendship, and period texture of 1930s Derry, Maine.
No Season 2 casting details have been announced yet for Welcome to Derry. Andy Muschietti, the show's producer, confirmed in Deadline's Contenders TV panel that the upcoming season will deal with the Bradley Gang's arrival in the small town, teasing "something horrible" will happen to them which alludes to the threat of Pennywise.
“It’s 1935 – we’re now working on it, and it’s so much fun. For the ones of you who read the books, probably the Bradley Gang sounds familiar. The Bradley Gang was a gang of bank robbers that — not accidentally, but they were on their way somewhere, and they stopped in Derry to buy some ammo and something horrible happens."
Following Season 1's game-changing ending, there are a plethora of rising young actors who have already shown they can handle horror, prestige TV, and emotionally charged roles, making them a natural fit for the unexpected story that Welcome to Derry Season 2 has to offer.
These 5 Young Actors Are Perfect for IT: Welcome to Derry Season 2
Jonah Wren Phillips
At 12 years old, Jonah Wren Phillips showcased a memorable and quite unsettling performance as Oliver in Bring Her Back, earning widespread praise for his portrayal of an eerily silent young boy. In the film, Oliver communicated almost entirely through long stares and physical presence rather than dialogue, and some of his impactful scenes are anchored by natural outbursts and his demonic physical transformations.
Phillips' unnerving child work in Bring Her Back makes him a natural fit for IT: Welcome to Derry Season 2, considering that the prequel needs kids who can sell terror in an effortless manner. Set in the Great Depression, Season 2 needs a group of kids who can stand their own against the Bradley Gang, and Phillips fit that bill after his Bring Her Back performance. He has already proven he can provide silent dread and messy physical horror, a perfect fit to stand toe-to-toe not just against the gang but also with Pennywise himself.
Nell Fisher
Nell Fisher made her Stranger Things debut in Season 5 as a recast Holly Wheeler, and her performance was immediately praised by fans and critics due to how she seamlessly made the role as her own. Fisher proved that she can play the kid who is being hunted and the character who can drive the narrative, which is a necessary skill for a kid-driven show like Welcome to Derry.
Fisher is a perfect fit for Welcome to Derry's recognizable narrative formula. The show (and the IT franchise as a whole) is known for introducing kids as the object of terror first before finishing their arc as someone who understands the mysteries of the town and one who could realistically come face to face with Pennywise with sheer braveness. Fisher's Holly arc and her impactful encounter with Vecna already proved that she can do that, positioning her as a potential worthy member of the new Derry gang in Season 2.
Vivien Lyra Blair
Vivien Lyra Blair already has a Stephen King credit under her belt after starring as Sawyer in The Boogeyman, meaning that casting her in another adjacent project under King's books is an added win for both her resume and Welcome to Derry.
In The Boogeyman, Sawyer was the younger sister who was terrified of the dark before transitioning into someone who needs to confront the horror head-on. Critics praised Blair's performance for being the character who was convincingly frightened throughout the terrifying scenes.
Season 2's Derry kids will need that certain aspect in her acting chops. Blair's scared face, combined with the 1930s aesthetic, makes her a convincing candidate to be part of the group who needs to make a stand against both Pennywise and the Bradley Gang.
Cary Christopher
Perhaps a fan-favorite casting choice for IT: Welcome to Derry Season 2 is Weapons star Cary Christopher, whose performance in the Zach Cregger-directed movie made him a top choice for a lead role in future horror movies and projects.
Giving him a chance to lead the kids in IT: Welcome to Derry is a no-brainer because the show's premise is anchored by the idea on kids who look fine until they don't. Christopher already knows how to stand out and sit on that exact predicament without even announcing the twist.
Cairo Cash Lee
Cairo Cash Lee recently appeared as teenage John Stewart in DC Studios' Lanterns, meaning that he already has an HBO connection. The show's flashbacks in Episode 3 showed Lee's captivating performance as a young boy who is being shaped by family pressure and a Green Lantern future he does not fully understand.
IT: Welcome to Derry Season 2 needs a young ensemble who can show that they are capable of not feeling fear, which is the exact portrayal Lee showcased on-screen in Lanterns. The young actor would be perfect in showcasing a kid who is mindful of the eerie happenings in Derry, and Lee certainly fits that bill.
