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In a recent appearance, star Jude Law remarked he had no concerns about backlash for playing the Russian leader in a new film. This production, however, may align too neatly with the mythologized version promoted by Russian state media that, domestically, it functions as a compliment rather than a challenge.

The Crafted Superhero

For years, the Kremlin and its entertainment industry have collaborated to forge a made-to-measure persona of the president. This figure is a political superhero without age or mistakes, an ex-intelligence officer reimagined as a local 007 who consistently understands beyond what he shows.

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

Screen-Based Support

One recent example is a television show launched last October, helmed by a Kremlin supporter. Its main character is a fictional security officer selected by fate to “rescue” Russia from disorder. While the character's name a different name, the implication is unmistakable: the savior must be a familiar security officer.

Western portrayals often end up reinforcing this same narrative rather than undercutting it. A new film inspired by a bestselling satirical novel aims to subvert the Putin cult by presenting him as a symptom but as a symptom, moving the narrative weight to the political machinery around him.

The Myth of the Reluctant Leader

In the film, Putin is shown as having been picked by powerful oligarchs to stabilise the country because he is “a fit former intelligence agent”. The oligarchs approach him and all but beg him to become president. His response is that he would rather govern from the shadows, desiring permanent power.

This narrative is the Kremlin’s export myth: the detached, unwilling mastermind guided by fate. Historically, these events ever happened.

The Truth Behind the Selection

Nobody actually pleaded with him to accept the role. The position was in essence a casting call with no shortage of contenders. Central to this process stood an influential oligarch from the Yeltsin era who expected to run the country de facto.

• His list included several politicians, among them an opposition leader later murdered and a security service director.
• According to a journalist who studied Putin’s biography, the future president merely met the necessary criteria: obedient, from the security services, and not a communist or a liberal.
• A property developer close to the process stated the key criterion was controllability and loyalty, not leadership.

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

Constructing the Spy Legend

Analysts concur that the notion of him as a powerful KGB spy was built after the fact. Claims about his “recruitment work” in Dresden do not stand up to scrutiny. In essence, he was an administrator and routine duties, a low-level clerk not engaged in field operations.

Interestingly, the shift to depicting him as a “spy” may in part have been inspired by the actor's arrival as James Bond. The grittier interpretation led local outlets and online audiences to make comparisons with their leader. Mashup posters replacing Craig’s face with his surfaced on Moscow streets, feeding the growing tendency to see him as a local secret agent.

A Propaganda Win?

With Jude Law, an actor well-liked by viewers there, the Kremlin will not miss the opportunity 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, even though it includes recent years, is a welcome aspect for official messaging.

In Russian cinema, the president is frequently an all-powerful presence who never appears directly. His influence is signaled through portraits or orders from on high. Now, he finally acquires a recognizable face—one that may inadvertently validate the very myths it might seek to examine.