James Mathis III Interview – AfterBuzz TV Mini Spotlight

Voice artist/actor James Mathis III breathes life into the Black Panther character for two animated projects airing on Disney XD.

Mathis voices the superhero King in the special LEGO Marvel Super Heroes-Black Panther: Trouble in Wakanda, which premiered on Disney XD on June 3rd and currently airs online at Marvel HQ (https://www.youtube.com/marvelhq). T’Challa (Mathis) is tasked with protecting Wakanda from the mad Titan Thanos, who wants to destroy the world in this storyline originally created as 5 shorts and now compiled into one special event.

Then coming later this fall, Mathis and Black Panther will step out of the shadows for Disney XD’s highly-anticipated season five of the popular animated series, MARVEL’S AVENGERS: BLACK PANTHER’S QUEST. In season four, SECRET WARS, Black Panther assembled a new team to save his comrades and the Universe. Now, BLACK PANTHER’S QUEST presents T’Challa conflicted between protecting his people as the King of Wakanda, and serving as an Avenger. Fans can expect a globetrotting, espionage-filled, epic story about evil forces looking to take over Wakanda, alongside an emotional storyline about the sibling relationship between T’Challa and his younger sister, Shuri.

Plus, Mathis will hit the convention scene this summer with appearances at several popular Con events, including: Anime Midwest (July 6-8), Florida SuperCon (July 12-15), Raleigh SuperCon (July 27-29), and Golden Triangle ComicCon (August 18).

For the past 8 years, Mathis has been the most recognized voice of Black Panther across a variety of platforms. As T’Challa, his voice can be heard in animation, anime, interactive games and live shows including Marvel Universe Live (now touring) and The Marvel Experience.

Mathis feels honored to be trusted with voicing such an important character in the Marvel universe. He can’t wait to see where BLACK PANTHER’S QUEST takes them both, adding “It’s inspiring to be part of Marvel’s continuing push toward diverse storytelling. Viewers will get an in-depth look at T’Challa as he manages numerous physical, emotional, and intellectual challenges to his reign as King. The creative team at Marvel really let their hands go to craft a unique, compelling narrative with characters in a world you won’t soon forget.”

As a voice-artist, Mathis initially gained attention on Urban Entertainment’s Undercover Brother and The Golden Blaze. He went on to gain legions of fans for voicing characters in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Ben 10, WordGirl, the pop culture classic Celebrity Deathmatch, and the anime film Ironman: Rise of Technovore. In addition, he was among the stellar cast of Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H., earning a BTVA nomination for ‘Best Supporting Actor’ in 2015.

Mathis has also built a solid reputation for his talents on-camera. He appeared in a recurring role on LOGO’s critically acclaimed series Noah’s Arc, and went on to star in the VH1 comedy series, I Hate My 30’s. On the festival circuit, Mathis took home ‘Best Supporting Actor’ at the Houston Comedy Film Festival for the award-winning short film, Imaginary Friends.

Originally from Brooklyn, New York, Mathis first made his way out west to attend the esteemed USC School of Cinematic Arts. After graduating, he spent several years working for the FX Network as a coordinator and writer for on-air TV promos before transitioning to his acting career full-time. He recently extended his skillset to co-creator of an animated series that was sold to Film Roman.

James Mathis III is represented by William Morris Endeavor (WME).