A picture of Jude Law in the upcoming biopic of Vladimir Putin has left viewers comparing him to an unlikely screen star.
The Wizard of the Kremlin, which had its premiere at the Venice Film Festival, sees Law tackle the role of the Russian leader Putin.
Law’s portrayal of the President in an upcoming Hollywood feature garnered unlikely comparisons to another screen star who has been a staple of television and now blockbusters.
The Marvel actor was suggested as the unlikely lookalike to Law’s portrayal of Putin, with an image of the film shared to social media.
In a now viral post to X, members of the public believe Law resembles a star of The Office more than he does the 72-year-old President.
A viewer wrote: “Wasn’t sure what the Jude Law as Vladimir Putin makeup was gonna look like but I wasn’t expecting Martin Freeman.” Another joked: “They could’ve just cut out the middle man.”
A third added: “I saw the photo in my feed first, read the tweet, looked back at the photo, thought the exact same thing, and then looked up and read your comment. Jude Law out here having the audacity to steal work from Martin Freeman…”
Some were left delighted by another overlap in the two careers, with both Law and Freeman portraying Sherlock Holmes’ assistant, Doctor John Watson, in adaptations of the Arthur Conan Doyle character.
One wrote: “That’s why they both played Watson.” Another shared: “Spot on. They should have gone with Freeman… would have been cheaper, too (I guess, not only on the makeup-department).”
Others believe Law has been miscast in the role, and they don’t want Freeman to replace him, either. One post asked: “Why would they go with Jude Law for Putin when Mads Mikkelson exists.”
Another joked: “I thought that was Phil Collins.” Some were even confused by Paul Dano’s appearance, with his role in the film mistaken for Benedict Cumberbatch’s Holmes adaptation.
One viewer wrote: “I wondered why they were using a still from Sherlock, but that’s not Martin Freeman and that’s not Benedict Cumberbatch.” Another confused member of the public added: “I genuinely thought it was Martin Freeman and the dark haired guy was Jude Law.”
A third shared: “For real, I thought BBC Sherlock was coming back.” Others believe the similarity between Law and Freeman should have prompted the casting of the latter man.
One person asked: “Why didn’t they just hire Martin Freeman? I mean nothing against Law but it is funny.” Another joked: “We need Martin Freeman to play Jude law in the movie about the making of this movie.”
A third wrote: “Honestly could have saved money on make up just casting Freeman instead.”