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Pennywise's influence on the children of Welcome to Derry shapes them throughout their adult lives, twisting them into the very adults who perpetuate the town's cycle of animosity alive. It preys most easily on kids from broken households — youngsters who often mature to replicate the identical behaviors as their guardians. But, the Hanlon household distinguishes itself as a rare example of a households that remains intact, which may explain why Mike Hanlon, even after choosing to stay in Derry, persists as the only Loser who never fully falls under Pennywise's sway.

Hanlon Household's Distinctive Resistance

In the fourth installment of the series, Leroy finally becomes increasingly conscious of the supernatural forces surrounding the community, especially when It begins tormenting his son, Will Hanlon, during their fishing trip. The Hanlon family comprises a small number of adults who are aware that things are not right with the town, notably Leroy, who was shown to be receptive to psychic abilities when he was capable of sensing a fellow psychic's use of it in the third episode. Later, Leroy sees one of Pennywise's signature balloons outside his residence. This gift, alongside his inability to experience terror, combined with the foundation of his family, may be why he's capable of perceiving the entity's manifestations. But what if that psychic sensitivity is generational, and a key factor Mike is among the few adults in Derry who didn't lose themselves to the town's malevolence?

The boy is a member of the group of kids at his educational institution being terrorized by Pennywise. All his school friends hail from dysfunctional families, with caregivers who don't believe they're being haunted. The reason Will is being haunted is because of the viciousness of the community, paired with his potential sensitivity to psychic abilities, which makes him susceptible. This family are fundamentally strangers in Derry during 1962, which contributes towards the household feeling anomalies exist about the locality from the beginning. They also have a good foundation that remains unbroken, unlike the folks who originate in the area, with relationships that have deteriorated internally.

Historical Context

Based on the It novel, we understand the juvenile Will Hanlon will find himself at the Black Spot, where Hallorann will save him from a fire that the local KKK members of Derry will ignite. In the recent movie, we observe that Will has a boy named Mike and that the father ultimately dies in a fire, with Leroy outliving his own child and adopting his grandchild. The official story in the film is that the parents were on substances, but given our current view of Will in Welcome to Derry, that's hard to believe. Perhaps the timid youth, once he became an adult, turned to alcohol to free himself of the hauntings, or perhaps the corrupt environment affected him first, with the KKK ultimately finishing the job it began long before. Be it via the terror of the entity or through the malice of the community, instigated by Pennywise, the creature eventually gets the last laugh on Will.

Leroy's Transformation

This chain of events would explain how the elder Hanlon transforms so drastically from what we see in It: Chapter 1 and the prequel. In his later years, Leroy appears bitter and much stricter with his discipline. Because he survived his own offspring, it's comprehensible to observe such a drastic change. Nonetheless, his words hold greater significance since we are aware he's witnessed the clown's activities and the impacts they wrought upon his child. In the opening scene of the movie, we observe the boy hesitate to use a bolt gun on a sheep at the family property. His grandfather chastises him for hesitating and provides an analogy that results in a kill-or-be-killed scenario.

“There are two places you can be in this world. You can be in the open like us, or you can be trapped inside,” Leroy says as he points to the creature. “You waste time indecisive, and someone is going to make that choice. Except you will be unaware it until you feel that projectile in your head.”

Looking back, this could represent a piece of foreshadowing, something he regrets not imparting to his own child. Perhaps he desires he had acted differently in his youth, but for certain factors, he couldn't resist the repellent attraction of Derry.