After the Timothée Chalamet-led Wonka made over $630 million at the box office, the role of Willy Wonka seems coveted. At least if you ask Challengers star Josh O'Connor. However, if he played the part, he would like there to be a “darker” twist.

When speaking to the Wall Street Journal Style, O'Connor revealed he'd like to play Willy Wonka, saying it with a smile.

“I would love to play Willy Wonka,” he said. “But like a dark Willy Wonka. I know they've just made a Wonka film with Timothée Chalamet, but I would really like to play a sort of darker version of him.”

He then broke down Gene Wilder's version of the character. O'Connor believes Wilder's version is “darker” than Chalamet's.

“I think Gene Wilder's version of him is very dark,” O'Connor claimed. “It's not dark in this sort of sinister way, it's just that I think he's a really angry man.

“You know, these kids win a competition to go around a chocolate factory and they all seemingly disappear. I mean, it's sort of mad and dark. So, I think I [would] just play the truth of it,” he added.

Who has played Willy Wonka? 

Gene Wilder played the part in the 1971 film, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Johnny Depp then played the part in the 2005 Tim Burton film, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

And then in 2023, Chalamet assumed the role. The Paul King-directed film served as an origin story for Wonka. It was a smash hit and also featured the likes of Keegan-Michael Key, Sally Hawkins, Olivia Colman, Calah Lane, and Hugh Grant.

Who is Challengers star Josh O'Connor? 

Josh O'Connor first gained notoriety for his roles in Doctor Who and Peaky Blinders. He would go on to give an Emmy-winning performance in Netflix's The Crown. In the historical drama, O'Connor played Charles, Prince of Wales.

He has also been featured in the likes of Ripper Street, The Durrells, and a BBC TV series adaptation of Les Misérables. Dominic West, David Oyelowo, Johnny Flynn, and Lily Collins also starred in this adaptation of the novel.

On the big screen, O'Connor first appeared in Hide and Seek, The Riot Club, and had a small role in Disney's live-action remake of Cinderella. More recently, he gained notoriety for starring in the latest adaptation of Emma with Anya Taylor-Joy in the title role.

He is fresh off of the release of Luca Guadagnino's Challengers. The film just finished atop the domestic box office chart after grossing $15 million. That meant it beat out the likes of recent releases such as Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire ($7.2 million), Civil War ($7 million), and Abigail ($5.2 million).

In Challengers, O'Connor plays the ex-lover of Tashi (Zendaya) and the former best friend of her husband, Art Donaldson (Mike Faist).