Steven Seagal, once an improbable Hollywood action hero, has found a second, if increasingly strained, act as a peculiar prop in Russia’s geopolitical theater. His recent decision to step down as CEO of Five Elements LLC on July 17, 2025, while seemingly a business move, is another telling chapter in how Russia has leveraged, and arguably exploited, the aging actor for its own ends, even as the global landscape makes his continued presence a liability.