IT franchise star Isaiah Mustafa has opened up about the possibility of returning for a third movie, with the franchise soon set to expand with the Welcome to Derry prequel show. Based on Stephen King’s classic 1986 horror novel of the same name, Mustafa joined It: Chapter Two’s cast as the adult version of Mike Hanlon, the same character played by Hawaii Five-0’s Chosen Jacobs in the first movie. Later this year, HBO is set to release its new prequel show, set in the same continuity as Andy Muschietti’s two-part movie adaptation, with Bill Skarsgård returning as Pennywise.

Speaking with Screen Rant for his Instacart Super Bowl advertisement, Mustafa responded to questions about whether he would be open to a potential return to the IT franchise. Admitting that while he never believed there would be any continuation of the story after It: Chapter Two’s conclusion, he did suggest that he could “never say never” to returning as Mike Hanlon in a hypothetical IT 3. Check out his comments below:

I could never say never, especially with a franchise like IT. You never know when you’ll see Mike Hanlon pop up, and that’s the truth. But I’ve never thought that there wouldn’t be anything to continue the story.

Mustafa also suggested that Welcome to Derry will instead serve to expand the franchise in a fulfilling way. He revealed that he was fortunate enough to visit the set during production and was given a tour by Muschietti. Despite admitting that he never signed an NDA during his visit, he remained тιԍнт-lipped and committed to not leaking any potential spoilers. See his final comments below:

I think Welcome to Derry will continue the story in ways fans will really appreciate and really love. It’ll fill in some gaps. I was lucky enough to go on set while I was in Toronto, and Andy was directing the episode that I went to. It was really, really cool to see those guys. No spoilers, though. I did not sign an NDA, but I know better than to say anything about what’s coming. I don’t even know if he was directing, I just saw him, he directed me into the building, that’s it. [Laughs] “Look at that. Look at that. Don’t talk about that. Oh, and then that right there? You didn’t see that.”

What Mustafa’s Comments Mean For A Potential IT 3

There Are Other Options For Mike Hanlon’s Return

Given that the ending of It: Chapter Two sees Mustafa’s character tear Pennywise’s heart out of his shrunken body, with his friends crushing it between their bare hands, the chances of a potential continuation have always been slim. Moreover, even if Pennywise somehow survived his fatal confrontation with the Losers Club, any possible return of the terrifying enтιтy to Derry would likely not occur until the year 2043, given IT’s 27-year killing cycle.

Nonetheless, much as Mustafa suggests, audiences never truly know when they may see Mike Hanlon or his fellow Losers show up again. While it has been revealed that Welcome to Derry will continue to go back in time across three intended seasons, beginning with the year 1962 and concluding with 1908, it is still possible that Muschietti may even plan for potential flash-forward cameo appearances from his original IT cast members.

Our Take On Mike Hanlon’s Potential Return

Mike Does Appear In Other Stephen King Books

Even if the odds of seeing Mustafa and his fellow castmates return for a hypothetical IT 3 are low, there are still plenty of chances for him to reprise his character in other projects. Not only could Welcome to Derry include the movie’s characters via some flash-forwards, but it also has been well established that many of King’s novels take place within the same universe. Given that King’s 1994 book Insomnia is also set in Derry and includes Mike’s character following Pennywise’s death, a return in another potential spinoff project would seem far more likely.