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Last year, star Jude Law remarked he had no concerns about backlash for playing the Russian leader in a cinematic adaptation. This production, however, may align so closely with the mythologized version circulated by official channels that, domestically, it functions as a compliment rather than a critique.

The Manufactured Superhero

Over a long period, the Kremlin and its pop-culture machine have worked together to forge a made-to-measure version of Putin. This character is an infallible strategist without age or mistakes, a former spy reimagined as a Russian James Bond who consistently understands more than he reveals.

“In Russia, the manufactured Putin has long overshadowed the real one.”

Screen-Based Support

A notable instance is a television show launched last fall, helmed by a pro-government filmmaker. Its main character is a fictional security officer inexplicably chosen to “save” the nation from disorder. Although he is called Mikhail, the implication is unmistakable: the savior must be a familiar security officer.

Western portrayals often end up buttressing this same narrative rather than debunking it. A new film inspired by a bestselling satirical novel aims to undermine the leader's mythology by presenting him as a symptom but as a consequence, shifting the focus to the spin doctors around him.

The Fable of the Hesitant President

In the film, the president is shown as having been chosen by influential figures to steady the nation because he is “young, athletic and a spy”. The oligarchs approach 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 tale is a key piece of state propaganda: the cool, reluctant strategist shaped by destiny. Historically, none of this ever happened.

The Reality of the Casting Call

No one ever begged him to accept the role. The presidency was in essence a selection process with no shortage of contenders. At the centre to the selection stood a powerful businessman from the previous administration who planned to control the country de facto.

• The shortlist featured several politicians, including an opposition leader later murdered and a security service director.
• According to a journalist who researched Putin’s biography, the chosen candidate simply fitted the necessary criteria: loyal, from the intelligence world, and not a communist or a liberal.
• A businessman close to the events said the primary requirement was controllability and loyalty, not strength.

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

Constructing the Spy Legend

Experts agree that the image of Putin as a powerful KGB spy was constructed retrospectively. Stories about his clandestine activities in Dresden do not stand up to scrutiny. In essence, he was an administrator and technical tasks, a mid-level functionary not engaged in field operations.

Curiously, the shift to depicting him as a “007” could partly have been inspired by the actor's debut as James Bond. The grittier version led local outlets and social media to draw visual parallels with Putin. Mashup posters replacing Craig’s face with Putin’s appeared on city centers, feeding the growing tendency to frame him as a Russian 007.

A Diplomatic Opportunity?

Given the casting, an star popular with Russian audiences, the authorities are likely to seize the opportunity to frame his casting as a minor diplomatic triumph. Its omission of public dissent, the political rivals, or prominent activists from its narrative, despite covering recent years, is a welcome aspect for state propaganda.

Domestically, Putin is frequently an all-powerful presence who never appears directly. His influence is hinted at through photographs or orders from on high. In this new film, he at last gets a recognizable face—one that may inadvertently validate the very myths it perhaps aims to examine.