🔗 Share this article

Last year, star Jude Law stated he had no concerns about backlash for playing Vladimir Putin in a cinematic adaptation. This production, though, may align too neatly with the carefully constructed image promoted by Russian state media that, domestically, it functions as a compliment rather than a critique.

The Crafted Superhero

For years, the Russian political apparatus and its pop-culture machine have collaborated to forge a tailor-made version of Putin. This character is a political superhero devoid of flaws, an ex-intelligence officer reframed as a local 007 who consistently understands more than he reveals.

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

Cinematic Reinforcement

One recent example is a TV series released last fall, helmed by a Kremlin supporter. Its main character is a fictional blue-eyed lieutenant colonel selected by fate to “save” the nation from disorder. While he is called a different name, the message is unmistakable: the savior must be a familiar security officer.

International depictions often end up buttressing this same narrative rather than undercutting it. A new film inspired by a bestselling satirical novel sets out to subvert the leader's mythology by framing him as a symptom but as a consequence, moving the narrative weight to the spin doctors surrounding him.

The Myth of the Reluctant Leader

On screen, the president is shown as having been picked by powerful oligarchs to stabilise the country because he is “a fit former intelligence agent”. They visit him and all but beg him to take the top job. His response is that he would prefer to rule from the shadows, seeking permanent power.

This narrative is a key piece of state propaganda: the cool, reluctant strategist shaped by destiny. In reality, these events took place.

The Reality of the Casting Call

Nobody ever begged him to take the job. The presidency was effectively a casting call with many contenders. At the centre to this process stood an influential oligarch from the previous administration who expected to run the state in practice.

• His list featured several politicians, among them an opposition leader later murdered and a former spy chief.
• According to a journalist who studied Putin’s biography, the chosen candidate simply fitted the necessary criteria: obedient, from the intelligence world, and politically neutral.
• A businessman close to the process stated the key criterion was controllability and loyalty, not strength.

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

Constructing the Spy Legend

Experts agree that the notion of Putin as a powerful KGB spy was constructed retrospectively. Claims about his clandestine activities in East Germany fall apart under examination. In essence, he was an administrator and routine duties, a low-level clerk not involved with actual agent work.

Interestingly, the move to depicting him as a “007” may in part have been inspired by the actor's arrival as 007. His harder version prompted local outlets and social media to draw visual parallels with their leader. Mashup posters replacing Craig’s face with his surfaced on city centers, feeding the growing tendency to frame him as a Russian 007.

A Propaganda Win?

With Jude Law, an actor popular with Russian audiences, the Kremlin will not miss the opportunity to frame his casting as a small victory. Its omission of mass protests, the political rivals, or prominent activists in the story, despite covering recent years, is a pleasant bonus for official messaging.

Domestically, Putin is often an all-powerful presence who never appears on screen. His influence is signaled through photographs or calls “from above”. In this new film, he finally acquires a recognizable face—one that could unintentionally validate the very myths it perhaps aims to question.