🔗 Share this article

Last year, actor Jude Law stated he “didn’t fear any repercussions” for playing the Russian leader in a new film. The movie, though, could coincide too neatly with the carefully constructed version promoted by official channels that, domestically, it functions as a endorsement rather than a challenge.

The Manufactured Superhero

For years, the Kremlin and the country's pop-culture machine have worked together to forge a tailor-made persona of Putin. This figure is a political superhero devoid of flaws, an ex-intelligence officer reimagined as a local 007 who consistently understands beyond what he shows.

“Domestically, the manufactured Putin has long eclipsed the actual person.”

Screen-Based Support

A notable instance is a TV series launched last fall, helmed by a Kremlin supporter. Its main character is a invented security officer inexplicably chosen to “rescue” the nation from chaos. Although he is called a different name, the message is clear: the hero must be a known figure from the secret services.

Western portrayals often end up reinforcing this same narrative rather than debunking it. An adaptation inspired by a popular book aims to subvert the Putin cult by framing him not as a cause but as a consequence, moving the narrative weight to the spin doctors surrounding him.

The Fable of the Hesitant President

In the film, the president is presented as having been picked by influential figures to stabilise the nation because he is “a fit former intelligence agent”. The oligarchs approach him and all but beg him to take the top job. He replies is that he would prefer to rule from the shadows, seeking permanent power.

This tale is the Kremlin’s export myth: the cool, reluctant strategist shaped by destiny. 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 selection process with many contenders. At the centre to this process stood a powerful businessman from the previous administration who planned to control the country de facto.

• The shortlist included various figures, including an opposition leader subsequently assassinated and a former spy chief.
• Per an expert who researched Putin’s biography, the future president simply fitted the necessary criteria: loyal, from the intelligence world, and not a communist or a liberal.
• A property developer familiar with the process stated the key criterion was controllability and faithfulness, not leadership.

“The goal wasn't a powerful leader, they needed someone malleable, someone who would follow instructions.”

Building the 007 Persona

Experts agree that the notion of Putin as a master operative was built after the fact. Claims about his “recruitment work” in East Germany do not stand up to scrutiny. Fundamentally, he handled paperwork and technical tasks, a low-level clerk not involved with field operations.

Curiously, the move to framing him as a “007” may in part have been inspired by the actor's debut as 007. The grittier version prompted Russian media and social media to draw visual parallels with Putin. Mashup posters swapping Craig’s face with his surfaced on Moscow streets, feeding the growing tendency to see him as a local secret agent.

A Diplomatic Opportunity?

Given the casting, an actor well-liked by Russian audiences, the Kremlin will not miss the chance to frame his casting as a minor diplomatic triumph. Its exclusion of public dissent, the opposition, or key figures from its narrative, even though it includes the past decade, is a pleasant bonus for state propaganda.

Domestically, the president is often an all-powerful presence who remains unseen directly. His influence is signaled through photographs or orders from on high. Now, he finally acquires a famous actor's visage—one that could unintentionally echo the exact legends it might seek to examine.