'The Sandman' Landed an Unmistakable Voice for Matthew The Raven

The Sandman boasts a huge and impressive cast. From its lead, Dream (aka Lord Morpheus), played by actor Tom Sturridge, to characters who make only brief appearances, like Jenna Coleman as Johanna Constantine, there’s no shortage of strong acting talent throughout Season 1’s 10 episodes. So, why not have a well-known actor lend his voice to portray Dream’s loyal raven?

Early on in the show, we meet Jessamy, Dream’s raven. When he’s captured, she desperately tries to save him, even throwing herself onto the glass he’s trapped in. But Alex Burgess, under pressure from his father, kills Jessamy, leaving Dream without a soul to fight for him.

As in the comics though, another raven takes her place: Matthew, a former human who died and became a raven in the Dreaming. From then on, he aids Dream whenever he can, including reporting on Rose, who threatens Dream’s kingdom and all of reality in the second half of the season.

We don’t know much about who he was before, but Matthew plays an integral part in The Sandman as one of Dream’s moral compasses alongside Lucienne. When he returns to his kingdom, Dream is ruthless and vengeful, quick to punish any person or creature who goes against his wishes. But Matthew serves as one of the few beings Dream uses to gauge when he’s gone too far, and eventually change for the better by the Season 1 finale.

Fans of animated shows and comic book adaptations will recognize Matthew’s voice actor immediately, from the jovial tone. But for those who are unfamiliar we’ve got the answer below for you. Here’s who voices Matthew in The Sandman, plus who played the actual raven in the show because, no, that raven wasn’t CGI.

Who Voices Matthew in The Sandman?

Patton Oswalt voices Matthew the Raven in The Sandman. The actor and stand-up comedian is a veteran voice actor, voicing numerous memorable characters like Remy in Ratatouille, the titular character (alongside Christopher Meloni) in SyFy's Happy!, and multiple characters in Bojack Horseman. Although he starred in the short-lived animated Marvel series M.O.D.O.K, Oswalt also recently entered the MCU as Pip the Troll in a post-credits scene of Eternals, alongside Harry Styles as Eros.

As for the actual raven, Netflix Geeked tweeted on August 8, a raven named Mr. T did all the actual acting for Matthew. Jessamy was played by a raven named Velcro. If there was an Emmy for Best Animal Performance, I’d know my vote.

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