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Last year, actor Jude Law stated he had no concerns about backlash for playing the Russian leader in a cinematic adaptation. The movie, though, could coincide so closely with the carefully constructed image promoted by Russian state media that, domestically, it functions as a endorsement rather than a challenge.

The Manufactured Superhero

Over a long period, the Russian political apparatus and its pop-culture machine have worked together to forge a tailor-made version of the president. This figure is a political superhero devoid of flaws, a former spy reframed as a Russian James Bond who consistently understands beyond what he shows.

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

Screen-Based Support

A notable instance is a television show launched last fall, helmed by a Kremlin supporter. Its main character is a fictional blue-eyed lieutenant colonel selected by fate to “rescue” the nation from chaos. Although he is called Mikhail, the message is unmistakable: the savior 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 inspired by a popular book aims to subvert the Putin cult by framing him as a symptom but as a consequence, moving the narrative weight to the spin doctors around him.

The Myth of the Reluctant Leader

On screen, Putin is shown as having been chosen by powerful oligarchs to stabilise the country because he is “young, athletic and a spy”. The oligarchs approach him and all but beg him to become president. He replies is that he would prefer to rule from the shadows, desiring permanent power.

This tale is a key piece of state propaganda: the detached, unwilling mastermind shaped by destiny. Historically, none of this ever happened.

The Reality of the Casting Call

Nobody ever begged Putin to take the job. The position was effectively a selection process with no shortage of contenders. At the centre to this process stood a powerful businessman from the previous administration who expected to run the state in practice.

• The shortlist included various figures, including a reformer subsequently assassinated and a former spy chief.
• According to a journalist who researched his rise, the future president simply fitted the necessary criteria: obedient, from the intelligence world, and politically neutral.
• A businessman familiar with the process stated the key criterion was manageability and loyalty, not strength.

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

Building the 007 Persona

Analysts concur that the image of him as a powerful KGB spy was constructed retrospectively. Stories about his clandestine activities in Dresden fall apart under examination. Fundamentally, he handled paperwork and technical tasks, a low-level clerk not engaged in actual agent work.

Curiously, the shift to framing him as a “007” may in part have been inspired by the actor's debut as 007. His harder version led Russian media and social media to make comparisons with Putin. Edited images replacing the actor's likeness with his appeared on city centers, fueling the increasing trend to frame him as a Russian 007.

A Propaganda Win?

Given the casting, an actor well-liked by Russian audiences, the Kremlin are likely to seize the opportunity to portray this choice as a small victory. Its omission of public dissent, the opposition, or prominent activists in the story, even though it includes recent years, is a pleasant bonus for state propaganda.

Domestically, Putin 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 question.