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Last year, star Jude Law remarked he “didn’t fear any repercussions” for playing the Russian leader in a cinematic adaptation. This production, though, may align too neatly with the mythologized image circulated by Russian state media that, domestically, it functions as a endorsement instead of a challenge.

The Manufactured Strongman

Over a long period, the Kremlin and its pop-culture machine have collaborated to craft a made-to-measure version of the president. This figure is an infallible strategist without age or mistakes, a former spy reframed as a local 007 who consistently understands more than he reveals.

“In Russia, the constructed Putin has long eclipsed the actual person.”

Screen-Based Support

One recent example is a TV series launched last fall, helmed by a pro-government filmmaker. Its main character is a fictional blue-eyed lieutenant colonel selected by fate to “save” Russia from chaos. Although he is called a different name, the implication is unmistakable: the hero must be a familiar security officer.

Western portrayals frequently result in reinforcing this same narrative rather than undercutting it. A new film based on a popular book sets out to undermine the Putin cult by framing him not as a cause but as a consequence, moving the focus to the political machinery surrounding him.

The Myth of the Reluctant Leader

In the film, Putin is shown as having been chosen by powerful oligarchs to steady the nation because he is “young, athletic and a spy”. They visit him and practically plead him to take the top job. His response is that he would rather govern from the background, desiring enduring influence.

This narrative is the Kremlin’s export myth: the detached, unwilling mastermind shaped by destiny. Historically, none of this ever happened.

The Truth Behind the Selection

Nobody ever begged Putin to accept the role. The position was in essence a selection process with many candidates. At the centre to the selection stood a powerful businessman from the previous administration who expected to run the state de facto.

• The shortlist featured several politicians, including an opposition leader later murdered and a former spy chief.
• According to an expert who researched Putin’s biography, the chosen candidate simply fitted the necessary criteria: obedient, from the intelligence world, and politically neutral.
• A businessman close to the process stated the primary requirement was manageability and faithfulness, not strength.

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

Building the 007 Persona

Experts agree that the image of Putin as a powerful KGB spy was built after the fact. Stories about his clandestine activities in East Germany do not stand up to scrutiny. In essence, he was an administrator and routine duties, a low-level clerk not engaged in actual agent work.

Curiously, the move to framing him as a “spy” may in part have been inspired by the actor's arrival as James Bond. The grittier version prompted Russian media and social media to make comparisons with Putin. Mashup posters swapping Craig’s face with Putin’s surfaced on Moscow streets, fueling the increasing trend to see him as a Russian 007.

A Diplomatic Opportunity?

With Jude Law, an actor popular with viewers there, the Kremlin will not miss the opportunity to portray this choice as a minor diplomatic triumph. Its omission of public dissent, the political rivals, or prominent activists in the story, despite covering the past decade, is a welcome aspect for state propaganda.

Domestically, Putin is often an omnipotent figure who remains unseen directly. He is signaled through photographs or calls “from above”. In this new film, he finally acquires a recognizable face—one that may inadvertently echo the very myths it perhaps aims to examine.