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The clown's influence on the young residents of Welcome to Derry molds them throughout their adult lives, transforming them into the very adults who keep the town's pattern of animosity alive. The creature preys most easily on children from fractured homes — youngsters who frequently grow up to repeat the identical behaviors as their guardians. However, the Hanlon family stands apart as one of the few households that never splinters, which could clarify why Mike, even after electing to remain in Derry, remains the only Loser who never fully falls under Pennywise's sway.

The Hanlon Family's Distinctive Resistance

In the fourth installment of the series, Leroy Hanlon finally becomes more aware of the paranormal entities surrounding the community, especially when It begins tormenting his child, Will Hanlon, during their fishing trip. The Hanlon clan consists of some of the few adults who are aware that things are not right with the town, especially the father, who was shown to be sensitive to the Shining when he was capable of sensing a fellow psychic's use of it in the third episode. Subsequently, he spots one of Pennywise's signature inflated orbs outside his house. This gift, alongside his failure to feel fear, along with the foundation of his household, could be why he's capable of perceiving Pennywise's hauntings. However, consider if that shining is hereditary, and a key factor Mike is among the few adults in the town who didn't lose themselves to the town's malevolence?

Will is a member of the collective of children at his educational institution being terrorized by Pennywise. His classmates hail from broken homes, with caregivers who refuse to accept they're being haunted. The reason Will is being pursued is due to the cruelty of the town, paired with his likely receptiveness to shine, which makes him susceptible. The Hanlons are fundamentally strangers in the town during 1962, which lends itself towards the household sensing anomalies exist about the locality from the onset. Additionally, they possess a solid base that remains unbroken, unlike the folks who originate in the town, with bonds that have decayed internally.

Historical Context

Drawing from the original book, we understand the juvenile Will will find himself at the infamous nightclub, where Hallorann will save him from a fire that the local KKK members of Derry will ignite. In the recent movie, we see that he has a boy named Mike and that Will ultimately dies in a configration, with Leroy outliving his own child and adopting his grandchild. The official story in the motion picture is that the parents were on substances, but given our current view of Will in Welcome to Derry, that's difficult to accept. Maybe the timid youth, once he grew up, leaned into drink to free himself of the torments, or maybe the corrupt environment affected him first, with the KKK ultimately completing the task it started long before. Be it via the terror of Pennywise or via the cruelty of the town, instigated by It, It in the end gets the last laugh on Will.

Leroy's Transformation

These occurrences would explain how Leroy transforms so drastically from what we see in It: Chapter 1 and Welcome to Derry. In his later years, he appears resentful and much stricter with his parenting. Since he survived his own son, it's comprehensible to see such a profound shift. Nonetheless, his statements carry more weight now that we know he's seen Pennywise's hauntings and the impacts they wrought upon his child. In the initial sequence of It, we see Mike hesitate to use a stunning device on a sheep at the family property. Leroy chastises him for delaying and provides an analogy that leads to a survival-of-the-fittest situation.

“You have two options you can be in this existence. You can be out here like us, or you can be in there,” he says as he points to the creature. “You waste time hemming and hawing, and another is going to decide for you. Except you won't know it until you experience that bolt in your head.”

In hindsight, this could be a bit of foreshadowing, a lesson he regrets not imparting to his own son. Perhaps he wishes he had done something in his past, but for some reason, he couldn't resist the repellent allure of the town.