‘Willy Wonka’ Fans Debate: Gene Wilder Or Johnny Depp?

Willy Wonka is trending online as fans continue to debate whose performance is the best: Gene Wilder or Johnny Depp? Wilder originated the role of chocolatier Willy Wonka in the 1971 film, bringing the whole Wonka universe to life. Little did fans of the time know that it would go on to spawn a reboot starring Johnny Depp, which many new generations have grown up with.

It’s safe to say that depending on which generation you hail from, in addition to which film you were raised on, it’s likely there’s are two strongly opposing sides for good reasons! So, what are people saying?

Gene Wilder vs Johnny Depp

“Unfortunately younger folks born in the 2000s or later tend to prefer the Johnny Depp version since they grew up with it, but I’ve always thought it was really badly done and was not true to the character of Dahl’s book at all,” one Twitter user says, referencing the book by author Roald Dahl from 1964.

RELATED: Gene Wilder Thought This ‘Willy Wonka’ Child Star Was A “Brat”

Another fan responds to that Twitter user, saying, “Guess you didn’t read the book. The Depp movie was essentially a carbon copy of the Dahl book. Gene Wilder’s version was…Hollywood.”

Another fan bears the question, “Why compare them? They’re both completely separate from one another and both actors played their individual Willy Wonka to perfection. Y’all do this so people drag the Tim Burton version when it’s equally as good and more accurate to the book.”

However, there were some who just accepted the fact that the two different versions of the character were made for two different generations of Wonka. “Gene wilder was made for Willy Wonka, but the modern adaptation of Willy Wonka was made for Johnny Depp. The two are separate entities and hence cannot be properly compared. The original is wacky and endearing, while the new one is troubled and has that Tim burton whimsy.”

Gene Wilder passed away back in 2016 after a long and successful career in several popular films including Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein. Similar to Wilder’s career, Johnny Depp has also had an extremely successful career and has become a household name in modern generations, noting his starring roles in films like Edward Scissorhands, Sweeney Todd, and the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. Looks like “the best Wonka” is subjective at this point.