It’s the ultimate horror villain face-off debated in every corner of the Upside Down and beyond: Vecna vs. Pennywise. And now, a definitive, and highly controversial, ruling has been issued by one of the few people qualified to judge: Finn Wolfhard.

The actor, who has faced both creatures as Mike Wheeler in Netflix’s Stranger Things and Richie Tozier in the IT film saga, didn’t hesitate when asked who would claim victory in the supernatural brawl.

An Uneasy Alliance of Horror Roles

Wolfhard delivered a stunning verdict that may shock fans of the terrifying shapeshifter from Derry, Maine.

“Vecna would easily beat Pennywise,” the 23-year-old star boldly claimed, adding a stinging psychological blow to the ancient entity known as IT. He then jokingly labeled Stephen King’s monstrous clown as “the most insecure monster ever.”

This statement puts Wolfhard’s two biggest roles in direct conflict. While he remains part of the group desperately trying to survive Vecna’s terrifying reign in Hawkins, he was also one of the ‘Losers’ who managed to defeat Pennywise in the hit movie franchise.

The ‘Bully’ Defense

To back up his provocative power ranking, Wolfhard pointed to the surprising vulnerability of Pennywise when cornered by the young members of the Losers’ Club.

“The Losers literally bullied Pennywise into melting!” he reminded fans. Wolfhard cited the pivotal, yet comically humiliating, scene where the kids simply had to yell a few choice words to make the powerful, fear-feeding creature crumble.

“They yelled, ‘We don’t want you here!’ and watched him crumble,” Wolfhard quipped, contrasting Pennywise’s thin skin with Vecna’s sheer, psychopathic determination and raw psychic power.

While Pennywise feeds on fear, Vecna directly targets mental trauma and seems almost impervious to emotional attacks, instead relying on crushing physical and psychological power to brutalize his victims. According to Wolfhard, one relies on intimidation; the other is the terror.