Though there has been no confirmation of It: Chapter 3, a major update surrounding the franchise's new television series, show, on the other hand, was first announced in 2022 and is slated for release in 2025. The HBO Max series will follow the awakening of the evil clown Pennywise during the 1960s in Derry, Maine.

While Welcome to Derry is exciting because it confirms that Welcome to Derry is a solid part of the bigger film franchise, but more than that, it insinuates that It is far from being over.

Bill Skarsgård's Return As Pennywise In Welcome To Derry Makes It: Chapter 3 Likely

Skarsgård Is Not Done With Pennywise Yet

Bill Skarsgård's return as Pennywise says a lot about the It franchise. First and foremost, it implies that Skarsgård has not given up his role as Pennywise, and in fact, wants to continue playing him in the future. Considering that it has been five years since Skarsgård portrayed Pennywise in It: Chapter Two, and Welcome to Derry's cast is already different from the films, the actor easily could have ed the role to someone new.

However, Skarsgård not only took the role back but came on as an executive producer, firmly planting him as a notable voice in the franchise.

While Welcome to Derry is already a continuation of the It franchise, Bill Skarsgård's participation only further confirms that this franchise could continue. It isn't uncommon for movies to get spinoff television series that, though they exist in the same universe, feel completely isolated from their source material due to different casts and crews. However, when it comes to Welcome to Derry, this doesn't feel as true. Skarsgård's return makes it clear that Welcome to Derry is very much of the same ilk as the movies, and that it could be a stepping stone to a third movie.

How Pennywise Could Return In It: Chapter 3 After Chapter 2

Stephen King's Universe Could Bring Pennywise Back

Although Bill Skarsgård's Pennywise was killed at the end of It: Chapter 2, that doesn't mean It: Chapter 3 is off the table, nor that the killer clown is gone for good. There are a few larger Stephen King universe, and it turns out that his return has been hinted at in other King novels. In King's 2001 novel, Dreamcatcher, Pennywise's survival after the Ritual of Chüd is hinted at via graffiti on a statue. In this way, King may have already set up Pennywise's return.

Even if this isn't the case, Pennywise is a villain who can defy the laws of physics and logic. Though the Losers Club believed that they killed Pennywise, the clown is a being that far exceeds the rules of nature. In fact, a whole part of his lore is that he disappears for several years before returning with a vengeance. Therefore, it would not be too out of pocket to see Pennywise return, perhaps after spending some extra time recuperating from the Ritual of Chüd. He could even return in a different form.

When Could It: Chapter 3 Happen?

It: Chapter 3 Would Be Far Off

If It: Chapter 3 were going to happen, it would unfortunately take a long time to develop the film. Since Welcome to Derry is still a full year away from release, a third movie would certainly need time after the series to work out the proper story and find the appropriate cast. On top of that, there are also special effects that need to be added, and that could take extra time as well. In this way, It: Chapter 3 likely would not be released until 2026 or 2027 if it were to happen.

Welcome to Derry's cast includes Jovan Adepo, Chris Chalk, Taylour Paige, James Remar, Stephen Rider, and Madeleine Stowe.

Despite the long wait though, It: Chapter 3 would be a highly anticipated film, and could create some great competition among the horror movies of the year. Plus, with Bill Skarsgård on board, It: Chapter 3 could have the same ambiance as the previous movies from 2017 and 2019, but with an entirely new story and cast involved. Hopefully, Welcome to Derry can keep the It franchise alive, and more than that, maintain interest for a third horrifying installment.

Should It: Chapter 3 Even Happen?

It: Chapter Two's Disappointing Ending Could Be Saved With A Third Movie

With the It movies being based on the novel by Stephen King, it is clear that the first two movies form a complete story as it was intended by the author. The sequels were able to take a unique approach in having one movie focus on the characters in their youth and the sequel focusing on them when they were older. For It: Chapter 3 to return to the story and focus on the adults being only slightly older adults, it would not have the same impact.

It risks feeling like a tacked-on piece rather than something that belongs as another chapter of the same story. However, though It: Chapter Two concluded the story, it was not a satisfying ending for a lot of fans. There is a strong consensus that the first installment in the It franchise was the superior movie and the second part made for a disappointing finale. The defeat of Pennywise was particularly seen as a letdown. With that in mind, It: Chapter 3 could be an opportunity to end the franchise on a better note.

Pennywise cemented himself as a great horror movie villain and it would be a shame to have the final word on this adaptation of Stephen King's novel be a disappointing one. Welcome to Derry will not only reignite the interest in Pennywise and this franchise as a whole, but it could also delve deeper into the character in a way that sets the stage for a worthwhile return in It: Chapter 3.