Warning: spoilers for Wonka.
Wonka‘s new take Willy Wonka shares many similarities with Charlie from the original Roald Dahl story. Although Wonka borrows several characters and narrative elements from the original Roald Dahl Charlie and the Chocolate Factory book, it primarily portrays an original story where Wonka is significantly different from his previous iterations in film. For instance, instead of depicting young Willy Wonka as an intimidating, morally ambiguous anti-hero, the Paul King movie portrays him as a hero who fights against the corrupt Chocolate Cartel.
Even when it comes to the character’s dynamic with the Oompa Loompa, he is initially at odds with the Loompaland citizen because he stole his cocoa beans. However, in all these differences, the new Willy Wonka movie subtly draws a similarity between its young Willy Wonka and the original story’s Charlie. This similarity not only makes Willy Wonka more likable but also proves that the adult Willy Wonka from the original story was right on the money when he made a crucial decision.
Wonka’s Ending Recreates Charlie & The Chocolate Factory’s Most Wholesome Moment (& Makes It Better)
Wonka’s ending not only recreates the most heartwarming moment from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory but also makes it better in more ways than one.
Wonka’s Birthday Chocolate Tradition Creates A New Similarity With Charlie
In Charlie and the Chocolate Factory‘s opening arc, Charlie gets a chocolate bar as a birthday present from his parents. Willy Wonka’s backstory in Paul King’s Wonka reveals that his mother followed a similar tradition and gave him a chocolate bar for his birthdays. This parallel proves that Willy Wonka’s upbringing in Wonka‘s narrative was similar to Charlie’s in the original Roald Dahl story. Both had humble upbringings where, despite being poor, their parents did everything they could to keep them happy.
Charlie acknowledges his parents’ efforts to make his birthday memorable by breaking his chocolate bar into several little pieces and sharing them with his family. In Paul King’s Wonka, Timothée Chalamet’s Willy Wonka does something similar by sharing his chocolate with his friends after a note from his mother reminds him that chocolate tastes best when shared. Like Charlie prioritizes his family values above everything else toward the end of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Chalamet’s Wonka, too, succeeds as a chocolatier to help his friends escape Mrs. Scrubbit’s hotel and make his mother proud.
Wonka Further Proves Why Charlie Was The Perfect Willy Wonka Replacement
Willy Wonka’s original backstory in Paul King’s Wonka highlights how Charlie was always the perfect replacement for him. Like him, Charlie grew up with nothing but hoped to create a better life for himself and his family. Similar to Wonka‘s titular character, Charlie also understood the value of a single candy bar and, despite admiring chocolates, always prioritized sharing them with others. Although the adult versions of Willy Wonka in both the 1971 and 2005 movies did not exactly mirror Charlie like the one in Wonka, they too appreciated him because he seemed far more humble and virtuous than the other kids who visited the factory, making him the perfect heir to their chocolate empire.
