IT: Welcome To Derry EP Reveals Pennywise’s Time Twist Origin

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Be warned, this contains major spoilers for the season 1 finale of IT: Welcome to Derry, titled “Winter Fire”! The show has significantly complicated Pennywise’s connection to time, and co-creator Barbara Muschietti has explained the reason for this change. After seemingly escaping Pennywise’s latest attacks, Will, Ronnie, and the other kids discover the entire town of Derry is under assault by the creature when the military accidentally destroys one of the pillars supporting its power.

In the eighth episode of IT: Welcome to Derry, Marge, played by Matilda Lawler, is isolated by Pennywise while lost in thick fog. Instead of harming her directly, Pennywise reveals a strange ability: he can see both his eventual defeat by her future son, Richie Tozier, and the Losers Club, as well as glimpses of his own origins.

Barbara Muschietti recently shared some details with ScreenRant’s Tatiana Hullender about the surprising time-related twist in IT: Welcome to Derry. She explained that her brother, Andy Muschietti, who co-created and executive produced the series, has always been interested in time and how we experience it – a fascination that started with their father.

She remembered a pleasant conversation with Damon Lindelof, the creator of The Leftovers and Watchmen, from 2020. They discussed their initial ideas for Welcome to Derry, and he praised their ambition, noting his aversion to prequels because he already knew the ending. This realization helped them understand how to expand the scope of the IT franchise with the series, leading them to focus on challenging expectations.

The book raises a lot of questions, especially about this powerful creature that awakens every 27 years. It’s unclear if that timeframe applies to it specifically, or if its awakening simply marks the start of a new era for everyone. Interestingly, the narrative avoids using male pronouns, pointing out that the creature lays eggs and is essentially whatever we choose it to be. This being moves through time and space in ways the book doesn’t fully explain, which is great because it allows us, the readers, to create our own understanding – and that’s what we’re doing as we discuss it.

Within the interconnected world of Stephen King’s stories—often called the ‘Stephen King Macroverse’—the creature IT has a surprisingly complex backstory that extends beyond the novel it first appeared in. Because of its origins as an alien being from another dimension, IT has been mentioned and briefly shown up in other King works, most notably in The Dark Tower series, which is largely set in a vast, multiverse-spanning realm called Mid-World.

Director Muschietti’s interest in exploring time around Pennywise mirrors how Stephen King has described the character’s fate after the book ends. King has stated that Pennywise will continue to exist even after being defeated, though he doesn’t plan to revive the character physically in a new story.

The way the show plays with time aligns with the creators’ intention to surprise viewers who expect IT: Welcome to Derry to simply fill in gaps before the original story. Barbara Muschietti hinted this unexpected twist could even lead to IT: Chapter 3. The planned three seasons of Welcome to Derry will likely explore how these different timelines begin to connect with each other.

Be sure to dive into our other IT: Welcome to Derry coverage with:

  • How the reveal of Pennywise and Bob Gray’s true origins created 4 new mysteries for IT: Welcome to Derry
  • The show’s expansion of Bob Gray’s backstory after IT: Chapter Two‘s initial change
  • Jason Fuchs on Sophia Lillis’ surprise return as Beverly in the IT: Welcome to Derry ending and what it means for the future
  • Jason Fuchs explaining the ending’s surprise Richie Tozier reveal and how the character is tied to the season’s biggest death

All eight episodes of IT: Welcome to Derry season 1 are available to stream on HBO Max.

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2025-12-16 02:22