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Last year, actor Jude Law stated he had no concerns about backlash for portraying Vladimir Putin in a cinematic adaptation. The movie, though, may align so closely with the carefully constructed image promoted by official channels that, within Russia, it functions as a compliment rather than a challenge.

The Crafted Superhero

For years, the Russian political apparatus and its pop-culture machine have collaborated to forge a tailor-made version of Putin. This character is a political superhero without age or mistakes, a former spy reframed as a Russian James Bond who always knows beyond what he shows.

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

Cinematic Reinforcement

A notable instance is a TV series launched last October, helmed by a pro-government filmmaker. Its main character is a fictional security officer inexplicably chosen to “save” the nation from chaos. Although the character's name a different name, the implication is unmistakable: the savior must be a known figure from the secret services.

Western portrayals often end up buttressing this same narrative rather than debunking it. A new film based on a bestselling satirical novel sets out 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

On screen, the president is shown as having been chosen by powerful oligarchs to steady the nation because he is “a fit former intelligence agent”. They visit him and practically plead him to become president. He replies is that he would rather govern from the shadows, seeking permanent power.

This tale is the Kremlin’s export myth: the detached, unwilling mastermind guided by fate. In reality, none of this ever happened.

The Truth Behind the Selection

No one ever begged him to take the job. The position was effectively a casting call with no shortage of contenders. At the centre to the selection stood a powerful businessman from the previous administration who expected to run the state de facto.

• His list included various figures, including a reformer later murdered and a former spy chief.
• Per a journalist who studied his rise, the future president simply fitted the necessary criteria: obedient, from the intelligence world, and not a communist or a liberal.
• A property developer familiar with the process said the primary requirement was controllability and faithfulness, not leadership.

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

Constructing the Spy Legend

Experts agree that the notion of him as a powerful KGB spy was built after the fact. Claims about his clandestine activities in East Germany do not stand up to scrutiny. In essence, he handled paperwork and technical tasks, a low-level clerk not involved with field operations.

Curiously, the shift to depicting him as a “007” may in part have been inspired by Daniel Craig’s arrival as 007. His harder version prompted Russian media and social media to draw visual parallels with their leader. Edited images swapping Craig’s face with Putin’s appeared on city centers, feeding the growing tendency to see him as a Russian 007.

A Diplomatic Opportunity?

Given the casting, an star popular with Russian audiences, the Kremlin will not miss the opportunity to frame his casting as a small victory. Its omission of public dissent, the political rivals, or prominent activists from its narrative, even though it includes recent years, is a welcome aspect for state propaganda.

In Russian cinema, Putin is frequently an omnipotent figure who remains unseen on screen. His influence is signaled through photographs or calls “from above”. In this new film, he at last gets a recognizable face—one that could unintentionally echo the exact legends it perhaps aims to question.