Willard Wilbur "Willy" Wonka is the deuteragonist of the novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and the film adaptations. He is an unusual candyman, who invites Charlie and Grandpa Joe and other kids to his factory. His main goal is to find the heir to his chocolate factory.
He was portrayed by the late Gene Wilder in the 1971 film adaptation. In Space Jam: A New Legacy, he is portrayed by Jared Leto (since Gene Wilder died in 2016).