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Last year, actor Jude Law remarked he had no concerns about backlash for playing Vladimir Putin in a new film. The movie, though, may align so closely with the mythologized image promoted by Russian state media that, within Russia, it functions as a compliment instead of a challenge.

The Manufactured Superhero

Over a long period, the Russian political apparatus and its entertainment industry have collaborated to forge a made-to-measure persona of Putin. This character is a political superhero without age or mistakes, an ex-intelligence officer reframed as a Russian James Bond who consistently understands more than he reveals.

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

Screen-Based Support

One recent example is a television show launched last fall, helmed by a pro-government filmmaker. The protagonist is a invented blue-eyed lieutenant colonel selected by fate to “rescue” Russia from disorder. While the character's name Mikhail, the implication is clear: the savior must be a familiar security officer.

Western portrayals often end up buttressing this identical story rather than debunking it. A new film based on a bestselling satirical novel aims to undermine the Putin cult by presenting him not as a cause but as a symptom, shifting the focus to the spin doctors around him.

The Myth of the Reluctant Leader

On screen, the president is presented 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. He replies is that he would prefer to rule from the shadows, desiring enduring influence.

This tale is the Kremlin’s export myth: the cool, reluctant strategist shaped by destiny. Historically, these events ever happened.

The Truth Behind the Selection

No one actually pleaded with him to accept the role. 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 expected to run the state de facto.

• The shortlist featured several politicians, among them an opposition leader subsequently assassinated and a security service director.
• Per an expert who studied his rise, the chosen candidate merely met the necessary criteria: loyal, from the security services, and politically neutral.
• A businessman close to the process said the key criterion was controllability and loyalty, not strength.

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

Building the 007 Persona

Analysts concur that the image of Putin as a master operative was built after the fact. Claims about his clandestine activities in East Germany do not stand up to scrutiny. Fundamentally, he handled paperwork and routine duties, a low-level clerk not engaged in actual agent work.

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

A Diplomatic Opportunity?

With Jude Law, an star popular with viewers there, the Kremlin are likely to seize the opportunity to frame his casting as a small victory. Its omission of mass protests, the opposition, or prominent activists in the story, even though it includes the past decade, is a welcome aspect for state propaganda.

Domestically, the president is frequently an all-powerful presence who remains unseen on screen. He is signaled through portraits or orders from on high. In this new film, he finally acquires a famous actor's visage—one that could unintentionally validate the very myths it perhaps aims to examine.