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Last year, actor Jude Law stated he had no concerns about backlash for portraying the Russian leader in a new film. This production, however, may align so closely with the carefully constructed image promoted by Russian state media that, within Russia, it functions as a compliment rather than a challenge.

The Manufactured Superhero

Over a long period, the Kremlin and the country's pop-culture machine have worked together to forge a made-to-measure persona of Putin. This character is an infallible strategist devoid of flaws, a former spy reframed as a local 007 who always knows 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 “save” the nation from chaos. Although the character's name Mikhail, the message is clear: the hero must be a familiar security officer.

Western portrayals frequently result in buttressing this same narrative rather than undercutting it. An adaptation based on a popular book aims to subvert the leader's mythology by presenting him as a symptom but as a symptom, moving the narrative weight to the political machinery surrounding him.

The Myth of the Reluctant Leader

On screen, Putin is shown as having been chosen by influential figures to stabilise the nation because he is “young, athletic and a spy”. The oligarchs approach him and practically plead him to take the top job. His response is that he would prefer to rule from the background, seeking permanent power.

This tale is the Kremlin’s export myth: the cool, reluctant strategist guided by fate. In reality, none of this took place.

The Reality of the Casting Call

Nobody ever begged him to take the job. The presidency was in essence a selection process with many contenders. At the centre to the selection stood a powerful businessman from the Yeltsin era who planned to control the state de facto.

• The shortlist featured various figures, including an opposition leader subsequently assassinated and a security service director.
• Per a journalist who researched Putin’s biography, the chosen candidate merely met the required parameters: loyal, from the intelligence world, and politically neutral.
• A businessman familiar with the process said the key criterion was manageability and faithfulness, not leadership.

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

Building the 007 Persona

Analysts concur that the image of him as a powerful KGB spy was constructed retrospectively. Stories about his clandestine activities in Dresden fall apart under examination. Fundamentally, he handled paperwork and routine duties, a low-level clerk not engaged in field operations.

Interestingly, the move to depicting him as a “007” could partly have been triggered by the actor's debut as James Bond. The grittier interpretation prompted local outlets and social media to draw visual parallels with Putin. Edited images replacing the actor's likeness with Putin’s surfaced on Moscow streets, fueling the increasing trend to frame him as a Russian 007.

A Propaganda Win?

With Jude Law, an star popular with viewers there, the authorities will not miss the chance to frame his casting as a minor diplomatic triumph. The film's omission of public dissent, the political rivals, or key figures from its narrative, despite covering the past decade, is a welcome aspect for state propaganda.

Domestically, Putin is often an omnipotent figure who never appears directly. His influence is signaled through portraits or calls “from above”. In this new film, he at last gets a recognizable face—one that may inadvertently validate the very myths it perhaps aims to question.