Anatoli Knyazev was an international mercenary and criminal. He was hired by Lex Luthor in his schemes to discredit Superman and manipulate Batman into fighting him. Knyazev was primarily used in schemes which required direct involvement in crime.
Biography[]
Not much is known about Knyazev's past, with him only being referred to as "the Russian" by Bruce Wayne and Alfred Pennyworth. According to files obtained by Batman, he was heavily involved in arms dealing and human trafficking. At some point either prior to or after Superman's fight with the Sword of Rao, he was hired by Lex Luthor as a criminal contact.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice[]
Nairomi Incident[]
Eighteen months after the battle of Metropolis, Knyazev worked with Amajagh, a warlord operating out of Nairomi. He and his men were presumably involved in the capture and escort of Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen. Whilst Olsen took photos, Knyazev confiscated his camera and identified a tracking device, blowing his cover as a CIA agent. After Olsen was executed and Lane was taken away for interrogation, Knyazev and his men turned on their compatriots, murdering them with specialist bullets. They also burned their bodies and ordered a drone strike on the area, hoping to cover up their involvement and frame Superman. Knyazev and his men fled before the Man of Steel could arrive to confront Amajagh and rescue Lane.
Smuggling Kryptonite[]
Travelling to the United States to help Luthor smuggle in "Kryptonite", Knyazev became engaged in local organized crime. He presumably helped arrange the murder Cesar Santos, a human trafficker who'd recently been branded by Batman. Knyazev also became involved in the illegal gambling scene, placing bets on matches held in a restaurant's kitchen. After losing money on one fight, Knyazev briefly talked with another observer: Bruce Wayne. Unknown to Knyazev, the billionaire used their meeting to copy the contents of his phone and place a trace on it.
Knyazev later appeared at Gotham's docks to retrieve the Kryptonite. He and his men organized a convoy to bring it to LexCorp, with him accompanying it himself. When Batman attacked in his Batmobile and destroyed several of the vehicles guarding his truck, Knyazev joined the attempts to fend him off. He attempted to use a stinger missile to destroy the car, but this was thwarted by its flare defense systems. Knyazev was ultimately able to escape due to Superman's intervention in the chase, with the Man of Steel focusing on Batman more than him or his men.
Covering Tracks[]
During Congress hearings for Superman's involvement in the Nairomi incident, Knyazev began chasing down witnesses who'd likely turn on Luthor. He managed to catch up with Kahina Ziri at a subway station shortly after her meeting with Senator Finch. After several moments, Knyazev threw her into the path of an incoming train.
Kidnapping Superman's Loved Ones[]
Knyazev and his men were then involve in the kidnapping of Martha Kent, presumably being involved in the creation of several photos later used by Luthor to taunt Superman. He then kidnapped Lane from the Daily Planet offices, posing as a janitor to get close to her. After handing her to Luthor, Knyazev and his men took Kent to a disused warehouse in somewhere in Gotham, with Luthor claiming he'd instructed him not to give him the details to where she was held. He was instructed to burn her with a flamethrower if Superman survived but did not kill Batman in the fight Luthor had manipulated them into.
Skirmish and Death[]
Knyazev and his men were ultimately tracked to their location by Alfred Pennyworth, since Batman had kept a GPS locater on his phone after their meeting. As his men were attacked by the Dark Knight either with the Batwing or inside the warehouse, he stood guard over Kent. Eventually, Batman broke into the room he was guarding her in and held him at gunpoint with a gun he'd taken from his last mercenary.
Terrified for his life, Knyazev threatened Kent's life and told Batman he'd burn her alive if he didn't back off. Batman, believing he'd go through with his threat, shot the tank of his flamethrower, causing its fuel to leak. Within moments, the room they were in was engulfed in an explosion. Knyazev and an unknown number of his men were presumably killed, whilst Batman protected Kent with his flameproof costume. Luthor later learned of his defeat after Batman responded to his call and revealed he'd rescued Kent, leading him to fall on his backup plan.
Behind the Scenes[]
Although the "DC Extended Universe" iteration of KGBeast/the Beast, Knyazev was never referred to as the character's comic alias nor given much background. He was portrayed by Callan Mulvey, with Tim Connolly acting as a stunt-double. In a Twitter feed promoting The Suicide Squad, director James Gunn claimed that KGBeast was initially considered to appear in the film during pre-production, indicating he may have survived the explosion. His capacity in the film is currently unknown, though he was ultimately scrapped during the writing stages.[1]