History Characters / CharlieAndTheChocolateFactoryWillyWonka

[[center: [- [[Characters/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactory Main Character Index]] | '''Willy Wonka''' | [[Characters/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactoryBucketFamily Bucket Family]] | [[Characters/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactoryTheFourBrattyKids The Four Bratty Kids]] | [[Characters/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactoryOtherAdultCharacters Other Adult Characters]] | [[Characters/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactoryAdaptationSpecificCharacters Adaptation Specific Characters]]-]]]

A much younger interpretation of the character attempting to make a name for himself as a chocolate maker, having spent years travelling the world and perfecting his skills. Hoping to find his fortune in Gallary Gourmet, he finds his efforts challenged by the chocolate cartel while making friends along the way.

[[folder:''Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'' (2017 Broadway Retool and Touring Productions musical)]]

[[folder:General]]

[[folder:''Charlie & the Chocolate Factory'' (2005 Film)]]

[[folder:''Charlie & the Chocolate Factory'' (2013 Musical)]]

[[folder:''Charlie & the Chocolate Factory'' (2017 Broadway Retool and Touring Productions musical)]]

* AdaptationalAttractiveness: He's much more conventionally handsome in the two films than he is in any illustrations of him, as a look at the gallery at his official profile will prove. (Also applies to ''Theatre/TheGoldenTicket''; Daniel Okulitch had to be the second-youngest looking Wonka after Johnny Depp!)

* InexplicablyAwesome: He has no family, no stated place of origin. Even his age is uncertain ([[OlderThanTheyLook he looks middle-aged but...]]). Where did he come from? How did he become who he is and embark upon such amazing successes and travels? How did his priorities become so [[SkewedPriorities skewed]] that they approach BlueAndOrangeMorality? Only the 2005 film [[AdaptationExpansion outright attempts to answer these questions]]. The 2013 stage musical says only this much:

[[quoteright:280:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/goldenticket.png]]

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/oip_2023_12_11t124201897.jpg]]

[[folder:1971 Film]]

[[folder:2005 Film]]

[[folder:2010 Opera]]

[[folder:2013 Musical]]

[[folder:2017 Broadway Retool and Touring Productions]]

[[folder:2023 Film]]

* RummageSaleReject: Even back in 1964 when it was written, Mr. Wonka's outfit was AwesomeAnachronisticApparel -- but then there's the ''colors''. Plum tail coat, bottle-green trousers, pearly gray gloves, black top hat, etc. See AdaptationDyeJob above for more on this. This does not keep him from being a...

** He never liked Slugworth, Fickelgruber and Prodnose in the source material, but in this version they run a chocolate cartel where they threaten and bribe everyone to getting what they want. As a result, instead of being simple business rivals why become enemies of Wonka, especially Slugworth who threatens his new friends.

* CompositeCharacter: Visually he looks like a combination of his 1971 and 2005 counterparts, with his brown top hat coming from the former and his red coat coming from the latter.

* SkilledButNaive: He's truly talented and skilled in making chocolate that defies all logic, but he's also trusting to the point of stupidity. Noodles rightly points out that his attitude to just trusting the kindness of complete strangers did nothing but result in him ending up in indentured servitude, and he outright gives Lofty a pan which he uses to hit Wonka.

* AdaptationalNiceGuy: By far the most kind and selfless version of Wonka, which is justified by him being far younger than his counterparts who had been worn down by people trying to steal their recipes. Instead of a recluse struggling to find good in the world and a genuine connection with others, he's a warm hearted young man full of hope and dreams who makes friends rather easily and cares about the safety of others, especially when his chocolate seems to have negative side affects.

[[quoteright:400:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/wonka_7.jpg]]
%%[[caption-width-250:800:some caption text]]

!!!'''Played By:''' Creator/GeneWilder (''Film/WillyWonkaAndTheChocolateFactory''), Creator/JohnnyDepp (''Film/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactory''), Creator/TimotheeChalamet (''Film/{{Wonka}}'')

!!!'''Played By:''' J.P. Karliak (''Tom and Jerry: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory'')

-->'''Wonka''': So shines a good deed in a weary world...

%%* TwoAliasesOneCharacter

-->'''Willy Wonka''': My creations are for your eyes only. Remember: [[IllKillYou you talk, you die!]]

-->'''Willy Wonka''': Bucket, tell you what...

* AdaptationalDumbass: Doesn't know how to read until Noodle teaches him, who also points out his habit of relying on the kindness of strangers is foolish after he ends up in indentured servitude to Mrs. Scrubbit. This foolish gullibility also gives Lofty a chance to attack him and escape, in contrast to usual depictions of Wonka who are TheTrickster who wouldn't fall for such a trick.

* AdaptationalHeroism: He was a good person in the original book, if somewhat following a different sense of right and wrong when compared to other people, but the prequel film has him fighting against criminals controlling the police and even [[spoiler:give up on his dreams to ensure that Noodle and his friends could be free, an act of persona sacrifice that no other version of Wonka has shown to be capable of doing]].

* AgeLift: This Wonka is in his 20s, being treated as a young man attempting to prove himself.

* AdaptationalPersonalityChange: Justified since this is Willy Wonka when he's trying to start his career, instead of in the book or previous adaptations where he is an older and more cynical businessman. Nearly every negative personality trait common across adaptations has been removed in favor of focusing on his whimsical creativity and kindness towards others.

* BrokenPedestal: He mentions that he's been a fan of Slugworth's chocolate since he was a boy, but is disappointed when they meet and Slugworth declares his hatred of Wonka's chocolate. It gets worse as Slugworth attempts to ruin his chances of starting a business and [[spoiler:Wonka learns that he's part of a chocolate cartel controlling the police]].

* AdaptationalDumbass: Doesn't know how to read until Noodle teaches him, who also points out his habit of relying on the kindness of strangers is foolish after he ends up in indentured servitude to Mrs. Scrubbit.

* AdaptationalNiceGy: By far the most kind and selfless version of Wonka, which is justified by him being far younger than his counterparts who had been worn down by people trying to steal their recipes. Instead of a recluse struggling to find good in the world and a genuine connection with others, he's a warm hearted young man full of hope and dreams who makes friends rather easily and cares about the safety of others, especially when his chocolate seems to have negative side affects.

* AdaptationalHeroism: By far the most kind and selfless version of Wonka, which is justified by him being far younger than his counterparts who had been worn down by people trying to steal their recipes. Instead of a recluse struggling to find good in the world and a genuine connection with others, he's a warm hearted young man full of hope and dreams who makes friends rather easily and cares about the safety of others, especially when his chocolate seems to have negative side affects.

* AdaptationalRelationshipOverhaul: He never liked Slugworth, Fickelgruber and Prodnose in the source material, but in this version they run a chocolate cartel where they threaten and bribe everyone to getting what they want. As a result, instead of being simple business rivals why become enemies of Wonka, especially Slugworth who threatens his new friends.

[[center: [- [[Characters/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactory Main Character Index]] | [[Characters/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactoryWillyWonka Willy Wonka]] | [[Characters/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactoryBucketFamily Bucket Family]] | [[Characters/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactoryTheFourBrattyKids The Four Bratty Kids]] | [[Characters/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactoryOtherAdultCharacters Other Adult Characters]] | [[Characters/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactoryAdaptationSpecificCharacters Adaptation Specific Characters]]-]]]