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Last year, star Jude Law stated he “didn’t fear any repercussions” for portraying Vladimir Putin in a new film. This production, though, could coincide so closely with the mythologized version promoted by Russian state media that, within Russia, it functions as a compliment instead of a challenge.

The Crafted Strongman

Over a long period, the Kremlin and the country's pop-culture machine have collaborated to forge a tailor-made version of the president. This character is an infallible strategist without age or mistakes, a former spy reframed as a Russian James Bond who always knows beyond what he shows.

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

Cinematic Reinforcement

One recent example is a TV series released last October, directed by a Kremlin supporter. Its main character is a invented blue-eyed lieutenant colonel inexplicably chosen to “rescue” Russia from disorder. While he is called a different name, the implication is unmistakable: the hero must be a known figure from the secret services.

International depictions often end up reinforcing this same narrative instead of undercutting it. A new film based on a popular book sets out to subvert the Putin cult by presenting him not as a cause but as a consequence, shifting the focus to the political machinery around him.

The Myth of the Reluctant Leader

On screen, the president is shown as having been picked by influential figures to stabilise the nation because he is “a fit former intelligence agent”. The oligarchs approach him and practically plead him to take the top job. He replies is that he would prefer to rule from the background, seeking enduring influence.

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

The Reality of the Casting Call

No one ever begged Putin to accept the role. The position was in essence a casting call with many candidates. Central to the selection stood a powerful businessman from the previous administration who expected to run the state de facto.

• His list featured several politicians, among them a reformer subsequently assassinated and a former spy chief.
• According to an expert who studied his rise, the future president simply fitted the required parameters: obedient, from the security services, and politically neutral.
• A property developer familiar with the events stated the key criterion was controllability and faithfulness, not strength.

“They didn’t need a powerful leader, they needed someone malleable, someone who would follow instructions.”

Constructing the Spy Legend

Experts agree that the notion of him as a master operative was constructed retrospectively. Stories about his clandestine activities in East Germany do not stand up to scrutiny. In essence, he handled paperwork and routine duties, a mid-level functionary not engaged in actual agent work.

Interestingly, the shift to depicting him as a “spy” may in part have been inspired by Daniel Craig’s arrival as 007. His harder interpretation led Russian media and online audiences to draw visual parallels with their leader. Mashup posters swapping Craig’s face with Putin’s surfaced on Moscow streets, fueling the growing tendency to frame him as a Russian 007.

A Diplomatic Opportunity?

With Jude Law, an actor popular with Russian audiences, the Kremlin are likely to seize the chance to frame his casting as a minor diplomatic triumph. Its omission of public dissent, the opposition, or prominent activists in the story, despite covering recent years, is a pleasant bonus for state propaganda.

Domestically, Putin is often an omnipotent figure who remains unseen directly. He is hinted at through photographs or orders from on high. Now, he at last gets a recognizable face—one that may inadvertently echo the exact legends it might seek to examine.