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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 children from fractured households — children who often mature to repeat the identical behaviors as their guardians. However, the Hanlon family stands apart as a rare example of a households that never splinters, which may explain why Mike Hanlon, even after electing to remain in the town, persists as the sole member who doesn't completely succumb under the clown's influence.

The Hanlon Family's Unique Resistance

In the fourth installment of the series, Leroy at last grows more aware of the supernatural forces enveloping the community, especially when It begins tormenting his son, Will, during their fishing trip. The Hanlon family consists of some of the few adults who are aware that something is amiss with the town, especially the father, who was shown to be receptive to the Shining when he was capable of sensing a fellow psychic's use of it in the third episode. Later, he spots one of Pennywise's signature balloons outside his residence. This gift, coupled with his failure to feel fear, along with the base of his family, could be why he's capable of perceiving Pennywise's hauntings. However, consider if that psychic sensitivity is hereditary, and one of the reasons Mike is among the few individuals in the town who resisted succumbing to the town's malevolence?

The boy is a member of the group of kids at his school being tormented by Pennywise. All his school friends come from dysfunctional families, with caregivers who don't believe they're being haunted. The cause Will is being pursued is because of the cruelty of the town, paired with his likely receptiveness to shine, which makes him susceptible. The Hanlons are fundamentally strangers in Derry during 1962, which lends itself towards the family feeling something is off about the town from the onset. Additionally, they possess a solid base that remains unbroken, unlike the folks who come from the town, with relationships that have deteriorated within.

Historical Context

Drawing from the original book, we understand the juvenile Will will end up at the Black Spot, where Hallorann will save him from a blaze that the town bigots of Derry will ignite. In the recent film, we observe that Will has a son named Mike and that the father ultimately dies in a configration, with Leroy outliving his own son and adopting his grandchild. The public account in the motion picture is that Mike's parents were on drugs, but given our current view of Will in Welcome to Derry, that's difficult to accept. Maybe the shy youth, once he grew up, leaned into alcohol to free himself of the hauntings, or perhaps the rotten environment affected him initially, with the hate group ultimately completing the job it started years ago. Whether through the terror of the entity or via the malice of the town, instigated by It, It in the end achieves the last laugh on him.

Leroy's Transformation

This chain of events would clarify how Leroy changes so radically from what we witness in the first film and the prequel. In his older age, Leroy seems bitter and much stricter with his parenting. Because he outlived his own son, it's comprehensible to see such a profound shift. Nonetheless, his words hold greater significance now that we know he's seen Pennywise's hauntings and the effects they had on his son. In the initial sequence of the movie, we observe the boy hesitate to use a stunning device on a sheep at Leroy's farm. Leroy chastises him for delaying and provides an analogy that leads to a kill-or-be-killed situation.

“You have two options you can be in this world. You can be in the open like we are, or you can be trapped inside,” he says as he points to the sheep. “You waste time indecisive, and another is going to decide for you. Except you won't know it until you experience that projectile between your eyes.”

In hindsight, this could be a piece of prediction, something he wishes he had told his own child. Maybe he wishes he had acted differently in his past, but for some reason, he couldn't resist the repellent allure of the town.