Amazon Prime faces backlash for deleting guns from JAMES BOND posters

Amazon Prime Video has found itself in trouble with James Bond fans after a peculiar change to the franchise’s promotional artwork sparked outrage online.

The streaming platform recently released updated posters for several 007 films on its UK website, but fans were quick to notice something was missing: Bond’s gun.

Through works of art for classics such as Doctor No, Golden eyeAND A view to killthe legendary Walther PPK had been digitally erased. In some cases, the gun has been cut off completely, while in others Bond’s pose has been awkwardly altered to fill the space where it once stood.

For example, in A view to killRoger Moore’s arms seemed strangely elongated, as if they were stretched out to cover the missing weapon.

Fans were baffled. What is James Bond without his gun? It’s one of his most recognizable trademarks, a distinctive part of the character’s cool and dangerous personality. The change didn’t sit well with longtime supporters of the franchise, and the backlash came quickly.

Many took to social media to mock and criticize the apparent censorship. Some saw it as an unnecessary and absurd edit, while others joked about the strange poses created by the new images.

British actor Rufus Jones (Rivals, W1A) joked that the new posters seemed to “give the tantalizing impression that Sean Connery and Pierce Brosnan think you’re a dick.”

The timing made the situation even more awkward, as the controversy developed right around James Bond Day, October 5. Shortly after, fans noticed something else: Prime Video UK had quietly removed the edited posters altogether.

In true 007 style, the platform swapped them out without comment, instead replacing the illustrations with stills from the films. Interestingly, none of those new photos even showed Bond with a gun in his hand.

While Prime Video declined to comment, speculation continues among fans about what this could mean for the future of the franchise, particularly with Denis Villeneuve ready to direct the next Bond film. Some fear it was a look at a “sanitized” version of the iconic spy, while others suspect it was just an overzealous compliance decision gone awry.