What The It Cast Will Look Like As Adults In Chapter Two
The big-screen adaptation of Stephen King's classic novel It was a box office juggernaut. Not only was it the largest September debut ever, Variety noted that Andrés Muschietti's film was "the biggest opening weekend banked by a horror or supernatural film." Once the Losers' Club faced off against Bill Skarsgård's take on Pennywise the Dancing Clown, all bets were off. Was this "the best Stephen King adaptation of 2017?" According to The Hollywood Reporter, the answer was a resounding yes.
Much like the second episode of the 1990 two-part TV miniseries adaptation, It: Chapter Two will revisit our heroes nearly three decades later as they return home to face their shared childhood terror once more. As soon as It hit theaters, speculation ran rampant about which adult actors should step into these shoes. The young cast of Muschietti's horror hit even voiced their dream choices to Moviefone. We may not be seeing Chris Pratt or Chadwick Boseman fighting demon clowns anytime soon, but Sophia Lillis and Finn Wolfhard — who played Beverly Marsh and Richie Tozier, respectively — turned out to be spot on with their casting suggestions.
The cinematic continuation of this new version of It is poised to bring some truly epic scares. As we wait for the Losers' Club to reunite, let's take a closer look at what the cast looks like as adults in It: Chapter Two.
Bill Denbough
The collective struggles of the Losers' Club fell mostly on the shoulders of young Bill Denbrough. After the gruesome death of his little brother Georgie, Bill found support and solidarity with a group of friends who had two things in common: they were outcasts, and they were being hunted by a blood-thirsty clown. "One of the things that's really important to this role is the stutter," Jaeden Lieberher (St. Vincent, The Book of Henry) explained to Variety. It's a trait integral to Bill's story and Lieberher does an excellent job getting a handle of this speech impediment. In the end, his portrayal of young "Stuttering Bill" helped lay the groundwork for what's to come.
After much speculation, actor James McAvoy has been tapped to take on the role. If Muschietti sticks to King's book, Bill Denbrough will grow up to become a bestselling author — subconsciously turning the traumatic events of his childhood into engaging horror tales. With his recent terrifying turn as Kevin Crumb in M. Night Shyamalan's Split and the highly anticipated sequel Glass, it's safe to say McAvoy's genre game is strong. We're intrigued to see how he'll fare leading the Losers' Club in the enduring battle against Pennywise.
Beverly Marsh
In Stephen King's book, as well as the 1990 TV miniseries, Beverly Marsh leaves Derry and becomes a famous Chicago fashion designer. But as much as she tries to put her tortured childhood behind her, Beverly finds herself in one awful relationship after another ... all pointing back to her abusive father. We're unsure just exactly how detailed It: Chapter Two will get with Bev's story, but with Jessica Chastain filling the acting shoes of young Sophia Lillis, some compelling drama is sure to unfold.
As mentioned above, Lillis' dream casting choice was Chastain. In September of 2017, Andy Muschietti told Variety that, even though it was early in the process, Chastain was a top contender for the role of Beverly. Everyone was on the same page, it seems, as only months later, Chastain expressed her desire to work on It: Chapter Two, telling ScreenRant, "Well, I love Andy [Muschietti] and Barbara [Muschietti]. I worked with them on Andy's directorial debut, you know, his film, Mama. And you know, Barbara is one of my best friends... They're like my family. Anything that they're doing I want to be a part of, so I hope we can make it happen."
Ben Hanscomb
In It, young Ben acted as the researcher of the group, digging into Derry's history of gruesome murders while working to uncover the identity of the terrifying evil pursuing the Losers. It looks like It: Chapter Two will continue to follow Stephen King's book, as adult Ben sheds the physical weight of his childhood and pursues a lucrative career in architecture. Per The Wrap, child actor Jeremy Ray Taylor wanted Chris Pratt to play him as an adult (who wouldn't?), but casting for the role of Ben Hanscomb went a different direction. According to Deadline, Jay Ryan will step into the role of Ben. The actor has made a name for himself on the small screen, most notably as Vincent Keller in the CW's Beauty & the Beast series and as Ben Wesley in Mary Kills People.
As with the other kids in King's novel, Ben does his best to put his childhood trauma behind him. But the "H" that Henry Bowers (Nicholas Hamilton) carved into his stomach will most definitely still be there — and so will, we're assuming, his feelings for Beverly Marsh. It may be 27 years later, but something tells us the love triangle between Bill, Ben, and Beverly will strike up once more as soon as the Losers' Club reconvenes.
Richie Tozier
Richie Tozier, as a kid and adult, is the comic relief of Stephen King's It. In the TV miniseries, Seth Green (Robot Chicken, Family Guy) played the wise-cracking boy, while the late Harry Anderson (Night Court) took on the adult version of the role. Once It hit theaters in September of 2017, Stranger Things star Finn Wolfhard proved himself worthy by updating the role for new and old fans alike.
It didn't take long for the internet to speculate on who should play the new adult Richie, and all eyes landed on Bill Hader. Even Wolfhard recognized the comedian and SNL alumni as the only actor worthy of filling the character's shoes. In April of 2018, Variety officially answered the prayers of fans everywhere by confirming Hader's addition to the cast of It: Chapter Two.
Like almost every other member of the Losers' Club, Richie escapes Derry, and the clutches of Pennywise, to become a well-known radio DJ in Los Angeles. Hader has already proven his comedic prowess on Saturday Night Live, Superbad, and Trainwreck, to name a few, but his recent turn as a troubled hit man on HBO's Barry shows the actor's dramatic range. We can't wait to see how Hader's quick wit and potty mouth will fare in the group's fight against Pennywise.
Eddie Kaspbrak
In It, audiences watched as young Eddie Kaspbrak struggled with an assortment of physical ailments exacerbated by his overprotective mother. As Inverse points out, Eddie's the victim of Munchausen syndrome by proxy — a mental illness that develops after a caregiver makes up fake symptoms, or causes real ones, to make their child appear ill. In Eddie's mother's attempt at shielding him from every possible danger imaginable, the young boy develops a recurring anxiety that will surely follow him into adulthood. Jack Dylan Grazer did a fantastic job showcasing the fragility of young Eddie and, according to Indiewire, The Wire alum James Ransone will play adult Eddie in It: Chapter Two.
Aside from playing Ziggy Sobotka in HBO's hit series The Wire, Ransone may look familiar to many horror fans as he appeared as the Deputy in both Sinister and Sinister 2. As PopBuzz reports, Ransone looks uncannily like the grown-up version of Jack Dylan Grazer. Brilliant casting aside, we can't help but wonder how Eddie's hypochondriac ways affect his life as an adult, and his inevitable return to his childhood home. Things are sure to get quite challenging for Mr. Kaspbrak, that's for sure.
Stanley Uris
Out of every member of the Losers' Club returning to Derry, the one most reluctant to head home is Stanley Uris. Who can blame him? After all, he's the one who was sucked into Pennywise's toothy mouth, getting an extremely close-up look at the ageless evil's Deadlights. Wyatt Oleff brought Stanley's deep-seated fear to life, and as EW reports, Power star Andy Bean will take over as Stan, 27 years later.
We can't help but speculate how It: Chapter Two will bring the character of Stan to life in his later years. In King's novel, every survivor — aside from Mike Hanlon, who stayed behind — ends up burying their memories of Pennywise deep in their subconscious. If we're to use King's story as an outline for how things will play out in the movie, Stanley's reaction to Mike's call to come home ends up being the most heartbreaking. However, with Muschietti altering Mike's story for the highly anticipated horror sequel, is it possible we'll get a different version of Stan as well? For the sake of our own mental well-being, we hope so.
Mike Hanlon
The only member of the Losers' Club that remains in Derry is Mike Hanlon. Staying behind, Mike does his part to keep watch over things, standing guard in case Pennywise resurfaces. Variety reports that taking over the role from Chosen Jacobs is none other than Isaiah Mustafa. Still referred to by many as "The Old Spice Guy," Mustafa made a successful pivot into genre television in 2016, starring as Luke Garroway in the Freeform series Shadowhunters: The Mortal Instruments.
Although it's still reasonable to assume that most of the plot points in It: Chapter Two will follow King's novel, Muschietti explained to EW that he has different plans for Mike. "My idea of Mike in the second movie is quite darker from the book," the director hinted. "I want to make his character the one pivotal character who brings them all together, but staying in Derry took a toll with him... When the second movie starts, he's a wreck." While it sounds like Mike will hold the key to Pennywise's ultimate weakness, it seems he'll have his own personal demons to fight before the gang can take down their nemesis once and for all.