39 Years Later, Stephen King’s IT Is Finally Bringing A Major Character to Life (And Could Confirm 2 Fan Theories)

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Stephen King’s novel *IT*, published in 1986, is a massive book, exceeding 1,100 pages. It’s his second-longest work, only slightly shorter than his longest, meaning any adaptation of the story about Derry, Maine, and its terrifying, otherworldly clown will inevitably require cuts. Even the 1990 TV miniseries, which ran for three hours and remains popular with fans, had to leave out significant parts of the book. While the 2017 *IT* movie and its 2019 sequel, *IT: Chapter Two*, tried to include more details, they still couldn’t fit everything in.

The new series, *IT: Welcome to Derry*, will be both a prequel to the recent *IT* movies and a more detailed exploration of Stephen King’s original novel. The show will definitely cover the story of the fire at The Black Spot, a nightclub that served the Black community. But, surprisingly, it also seems the series will showcase one of Pennywise’s scariest looks from the book – a form that most other adaptations have left out.

Pennywise the Clown Is Just One Disguise That IT Uses

The creature known as IT often appears as Pennywise the dancing clown, but that’s only one of its many forms. In both Stephen King’s novel and the movie adaptations, IT has also shown itself as frightening monsters like The Leper, and even characters from classic films such as The Creature From the Black Lagoon and The Mummy. To truly terrify its victims, IT frequently disguises itself *as* people they’ve known, and in the story’s climax, it even transforms into a massive spider.

Even though IT can take many forms, Pennywise the Dancing Clown remains its most recognizable and frequently used one. However, a key part of IT’s personality hasn’t been fully captured in previous adaptations – until now, with *IT: Welcome to Derry*. While Pennywise is famous, he’s only one side of IT’s disguise. The other is Robert “Bob” Gray. In Stephen King’s original novel, Pennywise often presents himself as Bob Gray (for example, saying “I, Georgie, am Mr. Bob Gray, also known as Pennywise the Dancing Clown”), suggesting that Bob Gray is the true identity behind the clown persona.

As a huge fan of Stephen King’s *IT*, I was really excited to see Bloody Disgusting reveal a bunch of new merch coming out this fall for *IT: Welcome to Derry*! They’re releasing Funko POPs and those little Monogram blind bag clips, and both will include a figure of Bob Gray – which is awesome! NECA is even making a new Pennywise action figure, and get this – it comes with an alternate head sculpt of Bob Gray you can swap on. Honestly, all this merch makes me think they’re *finally* bringing that important Bob Gray storyline from the book to life on screen, which is a huge relief and something I’ve been hoping for!

Fans might remember a brief appearance of Bob Gray in the movie *IT: Chapter 2*, though his name wasn’t mentioned. Most adaptations have ignored this part of Pennywise’s history, focusing only on the clown persona. However, because Bob Gray is prominently featured on a lot of *IT* merchandise, the new series *IT: Welcome to Derry* might finally explore this hidden side of the villain.

IT: Welcome to Derry Can Confirm A Major Fan Theory With Bob Gray’s Appearance

In Stephen King’s *IT*, the terrifying clown consistently calls himself Bob Gray, and this name even appears on things like a package sent to Henry Bowers. The book never explains why Pennywise uses this alias, which has led to a lot of fan speculation about its significance.

A common fan theory suggests that the name “Bob Gray” – which IT used – is a joke. “Bob” is slang for something floating, and “Gray” subtly refers to the murky, sewer water in Derry. Essentially, IT was playfully repeating its threat: “You all float down here.”

A popular fan theory suggests that Bob Gray, the man who became Pennywise the Dancing Clown, was a real person living in Derry long ago. The scene with Mrs. Kersch, who mentions her father Robert Gray – also known as Bob Gray and Pennywise – adds weight to this idea. This scene is included in both the book and the movie *IT: Chapter Two*, and it’s where the theory originates. The question is: was Bob Gray a real person? Did he have a daughter, and were both of them victims of IT, now used as part of its terrifying methods? While it’s not confirmed, it’s a possibility that could become official canon with *IT: Welcome to Derry*.

Both of these fan theories are compelling, and it’s possible they could both turn out to be true. Even if one is correct, the other isn’t necessarily off the table. Given that Bob Gray seems to be a significant character in the upcoming *IT: Welcome to Derry* – with merchandise already being made – he’ll likely play a substantial role in the series, or at least have a memorable moment. Maybe this new series will finally address questions fans have been asking for years.

IT: Welcome to Derry premieres on HBO on Sunday, October 26th.

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2025-10-06 19:15