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Last year, star Jude Law remarked he “didn’t fear any repercussions” for playing Vladimir Putin in a new film. This production, though, could coincide so closely with the mythologized version circulated by Russian state media that, domestically, it functions as a endorsement rather than a critique.

The Manufactured Superhero

Over a long period, the Russian political apparatus and the country's entertainment industry have worked together to forge a tailor-made persona of the president. This character is a political superhero without age or mistakes, a former spy reimagined as a Russian James Bond who consistently understands more than he reveals.

“Domestically, the manufactured Putin has long eclipsed the actual person.”

Cinematic Reinforcement

A notable instance is a television show released last October, directed by a Kremlin supporter. The protagonist is a invented security officer selected by fate to “rescue” Russia from chaos. While the character's name a different name, the implication is unmistakable: the hero must be a familiar security officer.

International depictions frequently result in buttressing this same narrative instead of debunking it. A new film based on a popular book sets out to subvert the leader's mythology by presenting him as a symptom but as a symptom, shifting the narrative weight to the spin doctors surrounding him.

The Fable of the Hesitant President

On screen, the president is shown as having been picked by influential figures to stabilise the country because he is “a fit former intelligence agent”. They visit him and all but beg him to become president. He replies is that he would prefer to rule from the shadows, seeking permanent power.

This tale is a key piece of state propaganda: the cool, reluctant strategist shaped by destiny. Historically, these events ever happened.

The Reality of the Casting Call

No one actually pleaded with Putin to take the job. The position was in essence a selection process with no shortage of candidates. Central to this process stood an influential oligarch from the Yeltsin era who expected to run the state in practice.

• His list featured several politicians, among them an opposition leader subsequently assassinated and a former spy chief.
• According to an expert who studied Putin’s biography, the future president simply fitted the necessary criteria: obedient, from the security services, and not a communist or a liberal.
• A businessman familiar with the process stated the primary requirement was manageability and loyalty, not leadership.

“The goal wasn't a strong candidate, they needed someone malleable, someone who would obey orders.”

Building the 007 Persona

Experts agree that the image of Putin as a powerful KGB spy was constructed retrospectively. Claims about his clandestine activities in Dresden do not stand up to scrutiny. Fundamentally, he handled paperwork and technical tasks, a low-level clerk not engaged in field operations.

Curiously, the move to framing him as a “007” could partly have been triggered by Daniel Craig’s arrival as 007. His harder interpretation prompted Russian media and social media to make comparisons with their leader. Edited images replacing the actor's likeness with his surfaced on Moscow streets, feeding the growing tendency to frame him as a Russian 007.

A Propaganda Win?

Given the casting, an star well-liked by Russian audiences, the Kremlin will not miss the chance to frame his casting as a minor diplomatic triumph. Its omission of public dissent, the opposition, or prominent activists in the story, despite covering recent years, is a pleasant bonus for state propaganda.

Domestically, the president is often an omnipotent figure who remains unseen on screen. His influence is signaled through portraits or orders from on high. In this new film, he finally acquires a recognizable face—one that may inadvertently echo the exact legends it perhaps aims to question.