One of the many mysteries surrounding Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice has been about actor Scoot McNairy (Halt and Catch Fire). When McNairy was cast in the film in the summer of 2014, everybody from Warner Bros. to the actor himself refused to comment on what character he would be playing. Rumors on McNairy's mystery character ran wild — was he Green Lantern, The Flash, or a brand new character created for the film? It wasn't until one year later that reports surfaced stating that McNairy would be playing Jimmy Olsen, Clark Kent/Superman's photographer buddy. This was widely believed until recent months, when it was revealed that McNairy was actually playing a character named Wallace Keefe. But, if you were hoping the name might give you some clue as to his character then you're about to be very disappointed. Batman v Superman 's Wallace isn't from the comics originally.
Wallace Keefe has never appeared in any Superman or Batman comics, and even with the movie's release just around the corner, McNairy has refused to give any hint as to who he's playing. The nature of the character is completely new to the DC world, or so it seems. However, fans are theorizing that Walter Keefe is just a new name given to a familiar character that does make an appearance in Superman comic lore: Jose Delgado, aka Gangbuster.
According to a report by the Latino Review , Wallace could be inspired by Jose Delgado, a vigilante man who, in the comics, is paralyzed after saving Lois Lane. Lex Luthor, seeing an opportunity, offers him a super suit that would let him walk again and give him enhanced powers. Delgado jumps at the idea, only to find himself controlled by Lex's tech. A few of these character traits do appear in BvS's Wallace Keefe, but there are also a fair amount of differences between Jose Delgado/Gangbuster and Wallace.
In Batman v Superman (minor spoiler alert), Wallace is a Wayne employee who loses his legs after Superman essentially crushes a building on top of him while trying to save the city. With an axe to grind, Wallace takes part in the government hearings about Superman — McNairy can be seen briefly in a new courtroom scene released on Good Morning America. As the rumor goes, Wallace is so angry with Superman he later teams up with Lex Luthor, who wants to turn Wallace into a "human bomb."
Walace may or may not be Gangbuster, but he's definitely similar, and whatever he is, he sure isn't a friend to Superman.
Images: Warner Bros
