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Last year, actor Jude Law stated he had no concerns about backlash for portraying the Russian leader in a cinematic adaptation. This production, however, may align so closely with the mythologized image circulated by Russian state media that, within Russia, it reads as a endorsement rather than a critique.

The Crafted Strongman

For years, the Kremlin and its entertainment industry have collaborated to forge a tailor-made version of Putin. This character is a political superhero devoid of flaws, a former spy reframed as a local 007 who consistently understands more than he reveals.

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

Screen-Based Support

One recent example is a television show launched last October, helmed by a Kremlin supporter. The protagonist is a fictional blue-eyed lieutenant colonel selected by fate to “rescue” Russia from chaos. Although the character's name Mikhail, the message is unmistakable: the hero must be a known figure from the secret services.

Western portrayals often end up buttressing this same narrative rather than undercutting it. A new film based on a popular book aims to subvert the Putin cult by presenting him as a symptom but as a consequence, moving the focus to the spin doctors surrounding him.

The Myth of the Reluctant Leader

On screen, the president is presented as having been chosen by influential figures to steady the nation because he is “young, athletic and a spy”. They visit him and all but beg him to take the top job. He replies is that he would rather govern from the shadows, desiring permanent power.

This narrative is the Kremlin’s export myth: the cool, reluctant strategist guided by fate. In reality, none of this ever happened.

The Reality of the Casting Call

No one actually pleaded with Putin to take the job. The position was effectively a selection process with many candidates. Central to this process stood a powerful businessman from the Yeltsin era who expected to run the country in practice.

• The shortlist included several politicians, including an opposition leader subsequently assassinated and a security service director.
• Per an expert who researched Putin’s biography, the chosen candidate simply fitted the necessary criteria: loyal, from the intelligence world, and politically neutral.
• A businessman familiar with the process said the primary requirement was controllability and faithfulness, not leadership.

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

Building the 007 Persona

Analysts concur that the notion of Putin as a master operative was constructed retrospectively. Claims about his “recruitment work” in East Germany do not stand up to scrutiny. In essence, he was an administrator and technical tasks, a low-level clerk not involved with actual agent work.

Interestingly, the shift to framing him as a “007” could partly have been triggered by the actor's debut as 007. The grittier version prompted local outlets and social media to make comparisons with their leader. Edited images swapping Craig’s face with Putin’s appeared on Moscow streets, fueling the increasing trend to see him as a Russian 007.

A Diplomatic Opportunity?

Given the casting, an actor well-liked by Russian audiences, the authorities are likely to seize the opportunity to frame his casting as a small victory. The film's omission of mass protests, the opposition, or prominent activists from its narrative, even though it includes the past decade, is a welcome aspect for state propaganda.

In Russian cinema, Putin is frequently an all-powerful presence who never appears directly. He is signaled through portraits or calls “from above”. In this new film, he at last gets a recognizable face—one that could unintentionally echo the exact legends it might seek to examine.