Mater is recruited as a secret agent in Pixar’s Cars 2.
The story begins when Mater travels overseas with Lightning McQueen for the World Grand Prix. After a mistaken identity incident, British spy Finn McMissile and field agent Holley Shiftwell believe Mater may be an undercover operative. Mater is then pulled into an international espionage plot involving a mysterious mastermind and a dangerous fuel scheme.
Although Mater is not a trained spy, his honesty, improvisation, and mechanical knowledge repeatedly help the mission. His role makes Cars 2 structurally different from the first Cars film, which focuses more on personal change and small-town relationships.
Mater is voiced by comedian Larry the Cable Guy. The film visits locations including Tokyo, Porto Corsa, and London, giving the Cars world a much broader international setting than Radiator Springs alone.