This ‘IT: Welcome To Derry’ Deleted Scene Never Should’ve Been Removed From the Show

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HBO Max made a significant error by cutting an important scene from the IT: Welcome to Derry series. The scene featured the young versions of the Losers’ Club from 1962. The show, set within the IT universe, brought back Pennywise to terrorize a new group of kids – some of whom were connected to the original Losers’ Club from 1989. This new group – Lilly Bainbridge, Rich Santos, Marge Truman, Ronnie Grogan, and Will Hanlon – faced an especially brutal version of Pennywise. Because of the intense trauma and fear they experienced, these kids had almost no chance to enjoy a normal childhood while being tormented by the evil clown.

In December 2025, Arian Cartaya, who played Rich in the HBO Max series, shared a video showing a rehearsal for a scene that wasn’t included in the final version of IT: Welcome to Derry. The scene featured Lilly, Rich, Ronnie, and Will meeting in their clubhouse—a hideout where they planned how to defeat the villain, known as “the clown,” throughout the series.

Cartaya’s Rich starts dancing to relieve some stress, explaining that everyone needs to relax after being frightened by Pennywise. Soon, the others join in, and they all dance to forget their worries and enjoy a moment of happiness.

HBO Max made a mistake removing that wonderful scene from the first season of Welcome to Derry. It was the only moment where all the characters were together, genuinely having fun, and it would have been their last carefree moment before things took a dark turn with Pennywise.

Watch the scene below: 

Since Rich is alive in this scene, it happened before he bravely sacrificed himself for Marge in Episode 7. The scene is especially sad because Rich was the one who encouraged everyone to savor the moment.

Developed by Andy and Barbara Muschietti, IT: Welcome to Derry takes viewers back to 1962, showing how Pennywise terrorized the town of Derry 27 years before the first movie. The series reveals not only who Pennywise chose as victims then, but also a dark secret involving the military. It first appeared on HBO Max on October 26, 2025.

Why ‘Welcome to Derry’ Should’ve Focused More on the Magic of Childhood

Stephen King’s IT is fundamentally about the power of childhood, and the success of the IT movies stemmed from focusing on the Losers’ Club both as children and adults. However, IT: Welcome to Derry takes a different approach, weaving together multiple narratives – including the military’s hunt for IT, the backstory of Pennywise, the surprising connection of Ingrid Kersh, and the events that culminated in the Black Spot fire.

Though Welcome to Derry occasionally highlighted the kids’ carefree moments – like the Coke scene in Episode 7 where Rich and Marge experienced a taste of freedom – many believe a deleted scene showing the younger versions of the Losers’ Club simply having fun would have enhanced the show. It could have also recaptured the magic that made the IT movies so memorable.

Some fans prefer the original Losers’ Club from the 1989 film because the movie dedicated significant time to fleshing out their personalities, despite being limited to two hours. The new series, Welcome to Derry, has the advantage of a longer, episodic format and could have delved deeper into the stories of characters like Lilly, Marge, and Rich by better capturing the fun and innocence of childhood.

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2026-04-12 15:11