In 2005, Tim Burton surprised the audience with the musical movie , which, surprisingly, has one subtle Easter egg that further fuels a theory about a connected Burton universe. The movies of Tim Burton have stood out and built a loyal fanbase thanks to his unique visual style, which mixes horror, comedy, fantasy, and gothic elements. Burton’s works include original stories and adaptations of books, stage musicals, and more, and one of his most popular movies is Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Based on Roald Dahl’s 1964 children’s novel of the same name, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory introduces viewers to Charlie Bucket (Freddie Highmore), a young, kindhearted boy who lives in poverty with his parents and four grandparents. When the mysterious candymaker Willy Wonka (Johnny Depp) releases five Golden Tickets hidden in five random Wonka Bars worldwide, Charlie is one of the lucky ones who finds a ticket, and so he visits the factory. Despite being an adaptation, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory has an Easter egg that links it to another popular Burton movie.

Charlie and his family do what they can to survive with the few resources they have. Charlie’s mother is seen making cabbage soup for everyone, while Charlie’s four grandparents are bedridden, and thus Mr. Bucket is the working force of the house. . However, when machines that put the caps on are brought to the factory, Mr. Bucket and many others are laid off. At the end of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Mr. Bucket gets a new job repairing the machines that replaced him.

Now, the brief scenes at the toothpaste factory show a subtle but fun Easter egg that directly links Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to Burton’s Batman. The toothpaste company that Mr. Bucket works for is Smilex, and fans of Batman will instantly remember this brand. In Burton’s Batman, the Joker (Jack Nicholson) plans on releasing a deadly chemical in all of Gotham that will cause the city’s residents to die laughing. (but with a slightly different spelling).

The worlds of the books of Roald Dahl and that of Batman over at DC Comics are completely different, yet, in the universe of Tim Burton, they could be connected through one brand. However, , so this is just a fun Batman reference in Charlie and Willy Wonka’s story.

Many viewers have theorized that the movies of Tim Burton could be linked somehow, thus creating a connected universe. Putting all of Burton’s movies into one universe and connecting all of them doesn’t work because Burton’s works are very different, though there’s a popular theory linking his stop-motion movies. The theory says that The Nightmare Before Christmas, Corpse Bride, and Frankenweenie are all connected through their dogs, as Sparky, Scraps, and Zero are one and the same.

There isn’t an official Tim Burton connected universe, and even the above-mentioned dog theory has been questioned, so there isn’t a link between Gotham City and the world of Willy Wonka. Still, this doesn’t make the subtle Smilex Easter egg any less entertaining, and it's fun to imagine a world where and Batman co-exist.