Before it even aired, the creators of IT: Welcome to Derry said the show wouldn’t just focus on Pennywise the Clown (Bill Skarsgård), but would build out the larger world of Stephen King’s stories. The trailers hinted at this by including characters like Dick Hallorann from The Shining and references to Shawshank Prison. The first episode delivered on that promise, packed with hidden details for longtime fans. These clues suggest the introduction of an even more powerful, otherworldly force that connects all of Stephen King’s books and stories.
Warning: Spoilers below for IT: Welcome to Derry, Episode 1
The first episode of IT: Welcome to Derry intentionally uses turtles as a recurring symbol. This imagery originates from 1962, when Bert the Turtle, a cartoon character in civil defense films, was used to try and ease Cold War anxieties about nuclear attack. The series highlights this connection by even showing a child dressed as Bert handing out flyers. A turtle pendant also appears in a flashback, given as a good luck charm just before a character disappears. This repeated use of the turtle symbol is a clear reference to Maturin, an ancient and powerful cosmic being who opposes the evil entity known as It.
Who Is Maturin, the Turtle, In Stephen King’s Books?
As a fan of Stephen King, I’ve learned about Maturin, one of the incredibly powerful beings protecting the Dark Tower – which is basically the center of everything! He’s one of twelve Guardians, and he’s ancient, existing long before our universe even began in this place called the Macroverse. What’s really fascinating is that he has a cosmic enemy called It, or Pennywise. It is all about destroying things and thrives on fear, while Maturin is about building and kindness. The story goes that our whole universe was literally created when Maturin had a stomachache and, well, threw it up! Unfortunately, It got caught up in the process and came along for the ride.
The story reveals Maturin and It as ancient enemies, representing opposing forces in a never-ending battle. In the novel It, Maturin helps the Losers’ Club, offering Bill Denbrough the crucial knowledge and direction needed to fight Pennywise using a psychic battle called the Ritual of Chüd. Beyond that, as a protector of the Beam, Maturin’s very existence is linked to the stability of the Dark Tower – and therefore, all realities. He’s far more powerful than Pennywise, who is essentially a creature feeding off one of Maturin’s creations.
Is Maturin Showing Up in IT: Welcome to Derry?
The heavy use of turtle imagery in the first episode hints that IT: Welcome to Derry will delve into the deeper, more otherworldly roots of Pennywise. To fully explain the creature’s origins, the series will likely explore complex ideas like the Macroverse and the Todash space – the empty realm between worlds where many of Stephen King’s monsters come from. This gives Welcome to Derry a chance to properly introduce Maturin, the Turtle, not just as a symbol, but as a powerful force in the show’s mythology. Since the series is confirmed to exist in the same universe as The Dark Tower, where the Turtle is a protector, Maturin could become even more important as the story unfolds.
Even a subtle presence of Maturin – perhaps as a guiding influence or through visions – could explain Pennywise’s vulnerabilities within the story and offer a glimmer of hope against such a powerful evil. More importantly, bringing Maturin into the show would directly connect the It adaptations with the larger mythology of The Dark Tower, which Mike Flanagan is currently developing for television. Ultimately, introducing Maturin would not only deepen Pennywise’s origins but also establish Welcome to Derry as a crucial building block for a broader Stephen King cinematic universe, hinting at a much larger, cosmic battle against a being even more formidable than the clown.
New episodes of IT: Welcome to Derry premiere on HBO every Sunday.
Will the new movie IT: Welcome to Derry finally give us a full look at Maturin, or will the turtle remain a hidden surprise for fans? Share your thoughts in the comments and join the discussion in the ComicBook Forum!
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2025-10-28 19:16