The Dragon Ball Super mystery is over as the actor and the truth comes out of the shadows.
Fan Expo 2021 is an annual celebration in Toronto, Canada for the best of gaming and entertainment fandom: the fans and the celebrities. As conventions like these return to allowing celebrities to hangout with their loyal followers, the new style of how the functions of these events have changed with COVID-19 restrictions—especially for Q&A panels. This year’s panels at Fan Expo 2021 were held on two stages for the full duration of the con, one in front of the other, separated by a big wall that cut the huge hall in half. This meant that viewers of the panels could walk by, sit down, or stand around and catch all the secrets the celebrities on-stage spilled.
On Sunday, October 24, at 1:00 PM EDT, the Q&A panel for famous anime voice actor, Christopher Sabat, took to the stage to answer all the burning questions his fans have. Sabat is most commonly popular for voicing the number one hero, All Might, on My Hero Academia, and the ruthless Saiyan, Vegeta, in the Dragon Ball series. Many fans of their work had many questions for Sabat, but clearly Sabat had other plans to wrap up the show.
Sabat begins with comments pertaining to the question of what was his best Dragon Ball moment, “…I’d say my second favourite part would be the introduction of a character named Zamasu. Have any of you heard of the character, Zamasu?” About five or six claps from the audience answer that question as Sabat resumes, “He’s played by one of the best actors of all-time, David Gray…uhh…guess you don’t know who that is…let’s move on!” Then, a fan on the mic interrupts with a question.
The fan was none other than James Marsters (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Runaways), who walked over from their signing and photos booth about 20 or so steps away, to ask Sabat about his thoughts on the critically-disappointing live-action adaptation of the Dragon Ball series, Dragonball: Evolution. The two joke about the movie because they mention how not too many people know Marsters played a popular character from the show, Piccolo, but was butchered in the live-action film. Marsters openly said on the movie, “It sucked.”
Sabat goes on to explain how he learned Marsters was a really big Dragon Ball fan as Marsters and his son watch the show religiously. So, Sabat asked if Marsters would ever want to join the show—to which Marsters would’ve love to, but he would have to act for free due to union contracts.
Finally, Sabat exclaims the truth that Marsters was willing to voice the character of Zamasu in Dragon Ball Super for free to redeem himself with the Dragon Ball community. Sabat and Marsters are showered in applause as Sabat extends his emotions, “Give it up for James Marsters, everyone! I love you so much, James!”
Sabat reveals, “This is the first time that this has been openly discussed on a panel because for the longest time I didn’t want to get James in trouble. So, he went by the moniker of David Gray, on the show. So, no one knew who he was.” Sabat ends with praising James some more and hopes all the Dragon Ball fans can appreciate Zamasu in a whole new light and Marsters has repaired his relationship with the community he loves so much.
