Aahana Swrup
‘It: Welcome to Derry’ is set decades before the events of Andy Muschietti’s parent cinematic duology, It.’ Naturally, this means that apart from the central villain, Pennywise the Dancing Clown, and the town of Derry, Maine, itself, not many familiar faces can be found in the series. As the story picks up, it focuses on a new group of kids, Lilly, Ronnie, Phil, and Teddy, who are investigating the mysterious disappearance of their classmate, Matty. Unbeknownst to them, the young boy has already fallen into the grasp of the mystical horror that survives in the sewer systems of the town. Simultaneously, another plotline unravels surrounding Leroy Hanlon, an Air Force Major who has recently arrived in Derry because of a new top-secret assignment. Naturally, the character’s captivating military narrative, paired with his familiar last name, is bound to create some intrigue around his identity.
Major Leroy Hanlon is Mike Hanlon’s Grandfather, Who Witnessed the Burning of the Black Spot
Leroy Hanlon’s introduction to the story comes in the middle of the resurrection of Pennywise’s feeding spree, an event that occurs in Derry every handful of years. However, while Matty and his pre-teen friends make for ideal victims of the elusive sewer-residing monster, it’s evident that the same doesn’t extend to the Air Force Major. For the same reason, when he becomes the victim of a late-night attack, carried out by masked individuals, it’s no surprise to discover that he’s dealing with a different brand of demons. Hanlon’s arrival in town involves training a B-52 aircraft, an exceptional vessel. The top secret assignment, paired with Hanlon’s identity as a Black man living in America in the 1960s, makes him a target for both military and social aggressions.
Thus, his character remains an integral part of the series’ thematic exploration of horror, which can be found in Derry in 1962, and doesn’t necessarily have to be of the supernatural variety. Hanlon’s character is largely based on the source material, Stephen King’s novel ‘It,’ where the interludes describe Derry’s history, including the burning of the speakeasy named Black Spot. The attack on the joint frequented by African American servicemen is known to have been carried out by the Maine Legion of White Decency, a white supremacist group. In the book, the attack takes place in the 1930s, with Will Hanlon, Mike’s father, as the prime witness to the event. However, in the series, a direct prequel to the ‘It’ movies, Andy Muschietti and his co-creators chose to move the timeline around to better fit with the on-screen adaptation. As a result, Leroy Hanlon, Mike’s father, who briefly appears in the 2017 film, becomes the protagonist of this particular story.
Jovan Adepo Brings Leroy Hanlon to the Screen in It: Welcome to Derry
In ‘It,’ Steven Williams portrays the character Leroy Hanlon, Mike’s grandfather, who is around for a brief appearance involving farm cattle. In the prequel show, ‘It: Welcome to Derry,’ Jovan Adepo takes on a younger version of the character. Interestingly enough, Adepo and Williams have previously played a grandfather-grandson duo in the 2015 show ‘The Leftovers.’ However, fans are more likely to remember Adepo from some of his more iconic roles. These include memorable performances in films like ‘Mother!,’ ‘To Catch a Killer,’ and ‘His Three Daughters.’
Furthermore, the actor has been a part of television shows like ‘Sorry For Your Loss,’ ‘Watchmen,’ The Stand,’ and was most recently featured as Saul Durand in the critically acclaimed show’ 3 Body Problem.’ In preparation for his role as Hanlon, Adepo sought out inspiration and influence from his father, who was also an Air Force serviceman. “Somebody who is always by the book (like Hanlon), if you’re not careful, can come off really boring,” Adepo told Entertainment Weekly. “But I definitely consider Lee (Hanlon) very compelling, very brave, very family-oriented, loving, and also just a man of that time in the ’60s. A lot of men, maybe, weren’t as expressive back then as we are able to be now. I think Leroy just had a big responsibility of uprooting his family, but doing so because he thought this particular town was the best place for them to finally grow and put a foundation down.”
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