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In a recent appearance, star Jude Law remarked he “didn’t fear any repercussions” for portraying the Russian leader in a new film. This production, though, could coincide so closely with the carefully constructed image circulated by official channels that, domestically, it functions as a compliment instead of a challenge.

The Manufactured Strongman

Over a long period, the Kremlin and the country's entertainment industry have collaborated to craft a made-to-measure persona of Putin. This figure is a political superhero without age or mistakes, a former spy reimagined as a local 007 who always knows more than he reveals.

“Domestically, the constructed Putin has long overshadowed the actual person.”

Cinematic Reinforcement

A notable instance is a TV series released last fall, directed by a Kremlin supporter. The protagonist is a fictional blue-eyed lieutenant colonel selected by fate to “save” Russia from disorder. Although he is called a different name, the message is unmistakable: the savior must be a known figure from the secret services.

International depictions often end up buttressing this identical story instead of debunking it. An adaptation inspired by a popular book aims to subvert the Putin cult by presenting him not as a cause but as a symptom, moving the focus to the spin doctors surrounding him.

The Fable of the Hesitant President

On screen, Putin is presented as having been chosen by powerful oligarchs to steady the nation because he is “young, athletic and a spy”. The oligarchs approach 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 a key piece of state propaganda: the cool, reluctant strategist guided by fate. In reality, these events ever happened.

The Truth Behind the Selection

No one actually pleaded with Putin to take the job. The presidency was effectively a selection process with many contenders. At the centre to the selection stood a powerful businessman from the Yeltsin era who planned to control the state de facto.

• The shortlist included several politicians, among them a reformer subsequently assassinated and a security service director.
• According to an expert who studied his rise, the chosen candidate simply fitted the necessary criteria: obedient, from the security services, and politically neutral.
• A property developer familiar with the events said the primary requirement was manageability and faithfulness, not leadership.

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

Building the 007 Persona

Analysts concur that the image of Putin as a master operative was built after the fact. Claims about his clandestine activities in Dresden do not stand up to scrutiny. Fundamentally, he was an administrator and technical tasks, a low-level clerk not involved with field operations.

Curiously, the shift to depicting him as a “spy” could partly have been triggered by Daniel Craig’s arrival as 007. The grittier interpretation led local outlets and social media to draw visual parallels with Putin. Mashup posters replacing Craig’s face with his appeared on city centers, fueling the growing tendency to see him as a local secret agent.

A Propaganda Win?

Given the casting, an actor well-liked by Russian audiences, the Kremlin are likely to seize the opportunity to frame his casting as a small victory. The film's exclusion of mass protests, the political rivals, or key figures from its narrative, even though it includes the past decade, is a welcome aspect for state propaganda.

In Russian cinema, the president is often an omnipotent figure who remains unseen directly. He is signaled through photographs or orders from on high. Now, he at last gets a famous actor's visage—one that could unintentionally validate the very myths it might seek to question.