Welcome to Derry’s Post-Credits Scene With IT Movie Actors Was a Last-Minute Addition (& Why It Happened)

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The season finale of ‘Welcome to Derry’ both advanced the show’s storyline and made several connections to the ‘IT’ movies. Because the show is set 27 years before the events of the films (which updated the original novel’s timeframe from the 1950s to the late 1980s), some overlap was anticipated. This was especially true considering Will Hanlon is Mike Hanlon’s father, a member of the Losers Club. However, the season finale, episode 8, revealed even more connections. (Warning: Spoilers ahead for the ‘Welcome to Derry’ Season 1 finale.)

The first season of ‘Welcome to Derry’ ended with a surprising reveal: Marge Truman is Richie Tozier’s mother. Pennywise seemed to know this all along, hinting at it. But the story didn’t end there. After the credits rolled, a short scene showed Mrs. Kersh (played by Joan Gregson, reprising her role from ‘IT: Chapter Two’) in 1988, shortly before the main events of ‘IT’. She discovers another patient has died by suicide and finds a young Beverly Marsh (Sophia Lillis) crying by the body.

Fans were surprised to see Naomi Lillis return as Bev, especially since her last appearance in the role was six years prior. Interestingly, this wasn’t originally planned; co-creator Andy Muschietti told Variety the scene was added during reshoots. Barbara Muschietti mentioned it was filmed in April 2025, following initial filming which began in May 2023 and wrapped in August 2024 after the strikes. They had initially hoped for an even larger appearance, but those plans ultimately changed, as Andy explained.

I had a general idea of how I wanted the show to look, but it was important to maintain a visual link to the movie characters. I originally planned a longer ending with four scenes, but it was too much, so we simplified it to a single scene focusing on one of the Losers. We always tease Sophia Lillis because she barely seems to age – she looked 14 at 14, and still looks about that age now at 24, which makes it easy to bring her back to the role without needing any special effects. We also brought back Joan Gregson, who played the older Ingrid Kersh in the second It movie.

The Meaning Of Beverly Marsh & Mrs. Kersh’s Welcome to Derry Cameos

The recently added scene featuring Bev and Kersh significantly changes how we understand IT: Chapter Two. It deliberately provides context for their meeting in the movie, clarifying why IT appeared as Mrs. Kersh. Director Andy Muschietti called it a “perfect connection,” especially considering Ingrid Kersh’s situation at Juniper Hill. Jason Fuchs, the showrunner, explained further that this scene…

That scene is really powerful because it shifts how you see Beverly’s confrontation with the Mrs. Kersh form of It in It: Chapter 2. When I worked on it, I thought It was pretending to be Pennywise’s daughter, exploiting Beverly’s difficult history with her father. I never realized at the time that Beverly had actually met the real Mrs. Kersh before.

Looking back at that scene, you start to understand there was more to it. It knew Beverly had met Mrs. Kersh before, and specifically on the incredibly difficult day her mother died by suicide. By appearing as Mrs. Kersh, It’s bringing up a deeply hidden memory connected to the worst moment Beverly had experienced so far. That’s the memory we finally see revealed at the end of the season.

This really shows how terrifying Pennywise is and how skillfully he preys on people’s deepest fears, even those they aren’t fully aware of. It also strengthens the connection between the characters of Bev and Lilly, who play similar roles in the story. Both are young, isolated girls who experienced the loss of a parent. They both faced Pennywise and had disturbing encounters with Mrs. Kersh at different points in her life, and having the same actresses – Lilli as Bev and Gregson as Kersh – emphasizes this shared experience.

This turned out to be Gregson’s last performance, as she sadly passed away in June 2025 at the age of 92. This final scene beautifully adds to her lasting impact, and it’s wonderful that fans of IT had one last chance to see her and gain a deeper understanding of her character. Barbara Muschietti shared with Entertainment Weekly:

You know, working with her was amazing. She was 91 years old during filming, and still had this incredible sense of humor and talent – she was totally up for anything! She’d lived such a full life, mostly as a stage actress, and it was a real honor to get her back in front of the camera. She genuinely seemed thrilled to be there, and that energy was contagious.

All episodes of IT: Welcome to Derry Season 1 are now streaming on HBO Max, as are the two IT movies.

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2025-12-15 20:44