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Last year, actor Jude Law stated he had no concerns about backlash for portraying Vladimir Putin in a cinematic adaptation. This production, however, could coincide too neatly with the carefully constructed version promoted by official channels that, domestically, it reads as a endorsement instead of a critique.

The Manufactured Superhero

For years, the Russian political apparatus and its entertainment industry have collaborated to forge a tailor-made version of Putin. This character is an infallible strategist without age or mistakes, an ex-intelligence officer reimagined as a local 007 who always knows more than he reveals.

“Domestically, the constructed Putin has long eclipsed the real one.”

Cinematic Reinforcement

A notable instance is a television show launched last October, directed by a Kremlin supporter. Its main character is a fictional security officer selected by fate to “save” the nation from chaos. While the character's name a different name, the message is clear: the hero must be a known figure from the secret services.

International depictions often end up reinforcing this identical story rather than debunking it. A new film inspired by a popular book aims to subvert the Putin cult by presenting him not as a cause but as a symptom, moving the focus to the political machinery surrounding him.

The Myth of the Reluctant Leader

In the film, Putin is presented as having been chosen by powerful oligarchs to stabilise the nation because he is “young, athletic and a spy”. The oligarchs approach him and practically plead him to become president. His response is that he would rather govern from the shadows, desiring enduring influence.

This tale is the Kremlin’s export myth: the detached, unwilling mastermind shaped by destiny. In reality, these events took place.

The Reality of the Casting Call

Nobody ever begged Putin to take the job. The position was effectively a selection process with no shortage of contenders. Central to this process stood an influential oligarch from the previous administration who planned to control the state de facto.

• The shortlist included several politicians, including a reformer later murdered and a security service director.
• According to a journalist who researched his rise, the future president simply fitted the necessary criteria: loyal, from the security services, and not a communist or a liberal.
• A businessman close to the process said the primary requirement was controllability and loyalty, not leadership.

“They didn’t need a strong candidate, they needed someone controllable, someone who would obey orders.”

Constructing the Spy Legend

Analysts concur that the image of him as a powerful KGB spy was constructed retrospectively. Claims about his “recruitment work” in Dresden do not stand up to scrutiny. In essence, he handled paperwork and technical tasks, a low-level clerk not engaged in field operations.

Interestingly, the move to framing him as a “007” may in part have been inspired by the actor's debut as 007. His harder interpretation led local outlets and social media to draw visual parallels with their leader. Edited images replacing Craig’s face with Putin’s appeared on city centers, feeding the growing tendency to frame him as a Russian 007.

A Propaganda Win?

With Jude Law, an actor popular with viewers there, the Kremlin will not miss the chance to frame his casting as a small victory. The film's omission of mass protests, the opposition, or prominent activists in the story, even though it includes recent years, is a welcome aspect for state propaganda.

In Russian cinema, Putin is often an omnipotent figure who remains unseen directly. He is hinted at through photographs or orders from on high. In this new film, he at last gets a recognizable face—one that could unintentionally echo the exact legends it might seek to examine.