| “ | Say it again! | „ |
| ~ Ben's catchphrase. |
Ben Matthias is the main protagonist in the 2023 live-action Disney feature film Haunted Mansion. He is a widowed CERN astrophysicist and tour guide who gets drawn into the mystery of the haunted Gracey mansion.
He is portrayed by LaKeith Stanfield.
Background
Personality
In the beginning, Ben was a quiet man who always kept to himself as he was focused on his work as an astrophysicist. Though he was not a social person, he was able to bond with his future wife, Alyssa, over their shared interest of the supernatural, leading them to fall in love and get married. However, after Alyssa's death, Ben became wrecked with depression and guilt, blaming himself for his wife's untimely death due to being too focused on his job to spend time with her. In addition, Ben grew more anti-social than he ever was before meeting Alyssa where he developed no other bonds with people while drinking alcohol to cope with his grief. Ben also lost his belief in the supernatural due to never finding his wife's ghost and gave up his career in astrophysics, taking over Alyssa's job as a ghost tour guide which he was terrible at due to his anti-socialism and his disbelief in the supernatural.
However, after being haunted by a ghost, Ben's belief in supernatural was restored and became determined to investigate the cause of the hauntings at Gracey Mansion. He was amazed when Harriet revealed her ability to speak to dead and was hopeful that she could contact his deceased wife until Harriet told him she couldn't due to revealing and theorizing to him that Alyssa's spirit being at peace in the afterlife. As Ben investigated the cause of the mansion's hauntings and worked to stop Alastair Crump from collecting one thousand souls, he began to realize the dangers of holding onto grief, especially when learning how William Gracey never let go of his grief over his own wife's death and was tricked into committing suicide. Ben was also able to express his heartache over the loss of his wife to his new friends and sympathize with Travis who mourned for his father's death. In addition, during and after the final battle with Crump, Ben was able to let go of his grief over his wife's death and find peace with it, becoming an astrophysicist again and give away some of Alyssa's old belongings that he held onto after her demise.
Physical Appearance
Ben is a middle-aged African-American man with brown eyes and black hair. He is mostly seen wearing tank tops underneath unbuttoned dress shirts, complete with a pair of black jeans and shoes. He wears his deceased wife's wedding ring around his neck and wears a small pair of gold earrings. He sometimes a gray fedora and pair of round sunglasses when going out in public.
Role in the film
Gallery
Ben Matthias's first appearance.
Ben kindly giving his drink to a woman.
When the woman asks if he's with anyone, Ben explains he's with his co-workers who are watching them.
Ben becoming acquainted with the woman, Alyssa.
Ben explaining to Alyssa that he's an astrophysicist.
Ben and Alyssa talking.
Ben explaining to Alyssa he's working to create a device that sees dark matter and quantum.
Ben hearing Alyssa reveal she works as a tour guide, giving ghost tours to tourists.
"Like ghosts flying through the air."
Ben smiling.
Ben and Alyssa becoming well-acquainted.
Ben introducing himself to Alyssa.
Ben falling in love with Alyssa.
Sometime later, after marrying Alyssa, Ben mourns her unexpected death.
"What makes you think I'm having a bad day?"
Ben putting on his hat.
Ben telling a bartender that tourists will always find him no matter what.
Ben going to work as a tour guide as he had taken over Alyssa's job after her death.
Ben meeting his group of tourists.
Ben calling the tourists' names to see if they're all here.
Ben annoyed as his tourist group bonds with one another as he hasn't socialize with anyone since his wife's death.
"This is an historical walking tour."
"No ghost stories."
Ben leading his tour group through the city of New Orleans.
"Okay, Carols, let me impart a little bit of truth on to you."
"I’ve been in every “haunted house” in the most haunted city in the world."
"I’ve even been in that building. Seventy-two hours. You wanna know what I found? Nothing. Not a thing."
"Ghosts don’t exist. Life is dirt. We’re all dirt!"
Ben quickly apologizing to the tourists for losing his temper.
Ben going to continue leading his group of tourists through New Orleans.
Ben sleeping in his bed.
Ben waking up the next morning.
Ben hitting his head when he hears his front door being opened.
Ben seeing a man wearing a priest's robe enter his house.
Ben going to confront the man.
Ben meeting Father Kent.
"What kind of psychopath just enters someone’s house, huh?"
"Why do you have a cat?"
(Kent: "This isn’t yours?") "No."
Ben watching Kent put the cat outside before he goes to talk to him.
Ben hearing Kent being cordial with him.
"Hi, Kent."
Ben acting cold towards Kent.
Ben hearing Kent promise to ask one question before he leaves.
(Kent: "You wanna be a hero?") "Pass."
"Goodbye."
Ben hearing Kent mention spectral photography.
Ben hearing Kent talk about spectral photography.
Ben hearing Kent talk about how he invented a camera to capture what the press called "ghost particle".
Ben explaining he was professionally ridiculed for his invention.
Getting annoyed, Ben goes to shove Kent out the door.
Ben being asked by Kent to hear him out.
Ben hearing Kent explain he received a call from a woman who claims her new house is haunted.
(Kent: "She wanted me to perform an exorcism, but what I think we need is a paranormal expert.") "I'm a tour guide."
Ben hearing Kent remark how he used to work for CERN, building telescopes.
Ben hearing Kent offering him a chance to get back in the kind of work he truly belongs in.
"That woman is probably out of her wits. There’s no such thing as ghosts."
Ben refusing to go visit the woman and check out her house.
Ben changing his mind when Kent reveals the woman is offering $2,000 for anyone to get rid of the ghosts in her house.
Ben looking up.
Ben hearing Kent say he has faith in him.
Ben after Father Kent leaves.
Ben going to get ready to meet his client.
Ben going through his old things.
A photo of Ben and Alyssa.
Ben looking at the photo of him and his wife.
A flashback of Ben and Alyssa.
Ben showing Alyssa his camera lens invention.
Ben explaining his lens capture quantum manipulation.
Ben and Alyssa happy that his invention will change their lives.
Back in the present, Ben goes to put the picture of himself and his wife away.
Ben setting up his camera.
Later that night, Ben arrives at his client's house.
Ben meeting his client, Gabbie.
Ben going to enter Gabbie's house.
Ben being stopped by Gabbie from entering her house.
Ben being warned by Gabbie what will happen if he enters her house.
Ben being polite with Gabbie.
Ben asking Gabbie about the amount of money she's offering.
Ben surprised when Gabbie hands him the money without letting him do any work.
Ben going to let in by a reluctant Gabbie.
Ben entering Gabbie's house.
Ben hearing Gabbie explain she has no idea who the previous owners of the mansion are.
Ben hearing Gabbie explain her husband doesn't live with her and her son.
Ben meeting Gabbie's son, Travis.
Ben taking interest in Travis's action figures.
"In your line of defense, do you have…Action Guy?"
Ben describing the Action Guy figure.
"He uses the shoe as a weapon. And he would say, he had a punch line, he said something, it was, um…'Say it again!'"
"Oh, it’s like Abuelita with the chancla!"
Ben asking Gabbie what she does for a living.
Ben listening to Gabbie explain she's a doctor who wanted to open a bed and breakfast.
Ben finding a bed and breakfast uncomfortable.
Ben listening to Gabbie explain how she found the mansion.
Ben listening to Gabbie explain the hauntings in her house.
Ben telling Gabbie about his camera when she asks about it.
Ben looking at his camera, knowing he forgot to put batteries in it before he left.
Ben being warned by Gabbie that the ghosts don't like flash photography.
Ben and Travis in the mansion's dining room.
Ben seeing Travis and Gabbie getting scared by a suit of armor.
Ben thinking Gabbie and Travis are playing a joke on him.
Ben looking into the armor.
"Nothin'."
Ben pretending to take a picture of the armor.
Ben pretending to be frazzled.
Ben pretending to take another photo.
Ben being the shown the mansion's basement.
Ben pretending to take another picture.
Ben, Travis, and Gabbie walking through a hallway.
Ben by a painting of a gunner.
Ben and Travis watching Gabbie run to the other side of an intersected hallway.
Ben seeing Travis nervous to show two ghosts firing guns.
Ben watching Travis fall down when he slips.
Ben coughing uncomfortably.
Ben going to walk to the other side of the hallway.
Ben having reached the other side of the hallway, unharmed.
Ben noticing a painting of a mariner.
Ben creeped out when he catches a glimpse of the painting looking at him which he shrugs off.
Ben pretending to write down calculations on a notepad.
Ben telling Gabbie and Travis there are no ghosts in their mansion which they seemingly believe.
After returning home, Ben goes to grab something to eat from his refrigerator.
Ben hearing his TV being turned on, playing a channel of Deadliest Catch.
Ben noticing water puddles in the shape of footprints on the floor.
Ben going to watch TV.
Ben watching TV.
Ben changing the channel.
Ben shocked when the TV remote suddenly flies out of his hands.
Grabbing his camera and putting batteries in it, Ben goes to take a picture of his living room, using flash.
Ben on the floor after the flash from his camera creates a shockwave.
Ben looking at the photo he just took, seeing a figure of a mariner in it.
Ben having stepped outside to contemplate what he saw.
Ben going to head back inside his house.
Ben going to take another photo without using flash photography this time.
Ben having seen no traces of the mariner in the second photo.
Ben getting ready for bed.
Ben lying down on his bed.
Ben noticing water leaking from the ceiling.
Ben hearing his bathroom door banging.
Ben seeing the bathroom door swing open, revealing an ocean and a thunderstorm on the other side.
Ben trying to close the bathroom door.
After closing the bathroom door, Ben sees a harpoon had been thrown at the wall.
Ben sitting in a cafe.
Ben seeing an apparition of the mariner.
"What are you following me?"
Ben seeing the apparition of the mariner disappear.
Ben returning to his house.
Ben noticing water seeping under his front door.
When he opens the door, Ben sees his entire house being flooded.
Ben seeing a giant wave of water form up.
Ben seeing the mariner's face appear through the wave who tells him to return to the mansion.
Ben getting washed out onto the street.
Ben shaken and traumatized to have encountered a real ghost.
Ben returning to the mansion.
"Something followed me home!"
"Hey! Don't! I said..."
"Something followed me home!"
(Gabbie: "When I first caught wind of what was going down here, we were out. I mean do you think I'm going to keep my son in a haunted house?") "No, you're not gonna-"
Ben listening to Gabbie explain the mansion's ghosts.
Ben listening to Gabbie explain what the mansion's ghosts do when someone enters the building.
Ben hearing Gabbie reveal the ghosts latch on to anyone who enters the mansion.
Ben listening to Gabbie explain she and her son were forced to come back to the mansion by its ghosts no matter how far away they went as the ghosts kept following them.
"So what you've could have done is spoken to me like adult and tell me I could never go home again!"
Ben being given some blankets and pillows by Travis.
"You could have told me before you let me just walk out of here!"
(Gabbie: "I would feel worse if you hadn't taken so much money just to use a dead camera and scribble nonsense.") "I...did do that."
Ben staring blankly at Gabbie when she offers him a scone.
Ben hearing Gabbie apologize for not telling him the true circumstances of the mansion's hauntings.
"I get that, but you don't need me. You need an exorcist."
Ben hearing Gabbie say she already tried exorcising her house.
Ben and Gabbie seeing Father Kent reveal himself.
Ben surprised to see Father Kent, realizing he was already hired by Gabbie in an attempt to get rid of the ghosts, only to fail and get haunted and followed by them.
"Wait, you're in on this as well? You knew about this? You're supposed to be a priest!"
Ben arguing with Kent.
(Kent: "I'd asked you 'Are you ready to be a hero'?") "And what did I say? I said 'No'."
Ben hearing Kent argue that he truly wanted to be a hero due to seeing desperation in his eyes.
(Gabbie: "Okay, okay. You said that he was an expert.") "An expert?"
(Kent: "Now does this thing work or not?") "Actually, I, uh, I took a photo."
Ben showing Kent the photo he took with his camera.
Ben showing the photo to Gabbie and Travis.
"I wasn't sure at first, but I think it's that mariner from that painting upstairs."
Ben seeing Kent amazed with his photo.
Ben, Gabbie, and Travis hearing Kent propose to use his camera to identify every ghost in the mansion so they can fight them.
"Why are we talking about fighting ghosts? We should figuring out how we got trapped here and how we get our lives back."
Ben hearing Gabbie realize that her and Travis's ghost kept wanting them to return to the mansion.
"Yeah, mine too."
Ben hearing Kent say his own ghost kept wanting him to return to the mansion as well.
"Wait, they didn't want to haunt us. They wanted us back here for some reason."
When a clock chimes midnight, Ben hears Gabbie that they must stay and sleep in the foyer for their own safety.
"Take the couch."
"Sleep all you want. They want us here, I'm gonna find out why."
Ben leaving the foyer, ignoring Gabbie's warnings.
Ben finding himself in a different hallway within the mansion.
"Hello? Anyone? Gabbie? Travis?"
Ben walking past a painting, not noticing a ghost in it.
Ben getting scared when he hears the sound of a sword being drawn.
Turning around, Ben uses his camera to see if there's a ghost approaching him.
Ben horrified when his camera's flash reveals a ghost approaching him, wielding a hatchet.
Ben running through the hallway.
Ben running as the ghost catches up to him.
Ben running before he crashes into a mirror.
Ben waking up, finding himself back in the foyer.
"We're gonna need more help."-Ben telling Gabbie, Travis, and Kent they'll need more help in dealing with the ghosts.
Ben and Kent arriving at Tulane University.
Ben and Kent arriving at Harriet's in downtown New Orleans.
Ben and Bruce at the New Orleans Police Department the next day.
Trivia
- Ben is LaKeith Stanfield's first Disney role, discounting the by extension production Atlanta on FX.
- Ben is the second protagonist from an adaptation of The Haunted Mansion to be African American, the first being Jim Evers.
- Ben's surname "Matthias" means "Gift of God".
- Ben is similar to Mighty Thor from the Marvel Cinematic Universe as both were astrophysicists trying to prove the existence of something unnatural. The only difference is Jane was trying to prove the existence of different realms while Ben was focused on proving the existence of ghosts.
- It said that Ben is a middle-age man but his actor is really in his 30s.
