Will Hanlon is Mike Hanlon’s father in Stephen King’s It universe, and his fate depends on whether the question is about the original novel/timeline or the new Welcome to Derry TV series. Here is what happens to him in both.
In the original It novel
In the book continuity and related reference material, Will Hanlon is a Black army veteran who settles in Derry, Maine and becomes a key influence on his son Mike by telling him stories about the town’s violent, racist past and strange disasters that are linked to It. Will does not die because of Pennywise; instead, he later develops cancer and dies in 1962, when Mike is a teenager.
In Welcome to Derry (TV show)
In the Welcome to Derry prequel series, Will is expanded into a main character and directly encounters Pennywise after It “wakes up.” Pennywise attacks him in his kitchen and exposes him to the Deadlights, leaving lasting psychological and possibly supernatural effects, but he survives this event and goes on to become Mike’s father, which keeps his ultimate fate (cancer in 1962) consistent with the original timeline.
