Amazon’s Subtle Erasure of Firearms from James Bond Posters Sparks Controversy
In a rather unexpected move, Amazon has undertaken the digital redaction of firearms from the promotional materials of every James Bond film available on its Prime Video platform. This alteration, spanning from the iconic era of Sean Connery to Daniel Craig’s final performance in “No Time to Die,” raises eyebrows regarding the motivations behind such a decision.
This bodes poorly for the future of James Bond as we know him. They’ve scrubbed the guns from the posters, and it feels like a sign of the times. The gentle sensitivities don’t seem to align with the essence of 007. pic.twitter.com/Nnu7d7yjqV
— Comics Cuts (@ComicsCuts) October 3, 2025
The uproar began as sharp-eyed fans took to social media, with John A. Douglas sharing a stark comparison between the original and altered versions of the posters, lamenting, “They photoshopped all the guns out of the James Bond movie thumbnails. Just in case you still had hope for Amazon being in charge of the franchise.”
They photoshopped all the guns out of the James Bond movie thumbnails.
Just in case you still had hope for Amazon being in charge of the franchise. pic.twitter.com/eeosPEPFnJ
— John A. Douglas (@J0hnADouglas) October 3, 2025
This revelation sparked a viral wave of criticism, as both conservatives and Bond aficionados rallied against what they perceive as censorship. User Rufus Jones humorously noted that the edited images give Connery and Brosnan an amusingly rude posture, quipping, “Amazon have removed the guns from their Bond posters, giving the tantalising impression that Sean Connery and Pierce Brosnan think you’re a wanker.”
Amazon have removed the guns from their Bond posters, giving the tantalising impression that Sean Connery and Pierce Brosnan think you’re a wanker. pic.twitter.com/tyjMVD1mit
— rufus jones (@rufusjones1) October 3, 2025
Imagery from films such as “A View to a Kill” now shows Roger Moore awkwardly posed in a suit instead of brandishing his once menacing pistol. Similarly, the cover for “GoldenEye” depicts Pierce Brosnan’s fist clenched in a manner reminiscent of a poorly conceived men’s fashion shoot. Meanwhile, the promotional material for “Spectre” sees Daniel Craig’s gun unceremoniously cropped out.
I just grabbed four examples. He’s in the full image pic.twitter.com/9I03ZM9ciw
— John A. Douglas (@J0hnADouglas) October 3, 2025
The root of this situation can be traced back to Amazon’s hefty $8.45 billion acquisition of MGM Studios in 2022—an event that raised red flags among fans regarding potential progressive alterations to the franchise. While no clear rationale has emerged from Amazon concerning these edits, speculations abound that this move aims to cater to anti-gun activists or to create a sanitized, “family-friendly” aesthetic, despite the inherently violent nature of the films themselves.
Interestingly, even the Bond franchise logo, which characteristically features a stylized gun barrel, has yet to face any edits. This ongoing rebranding effort raises serious concerns that a future Bond reboot may trade bold actions for a timid approach. If Amazon hesitates to feature firearms on a mere poster, one has to wonder what the fate of the films might be.
This isn’t the first time digital revisions have drawn ire from fans; Spielberg’s controversial decision to replace guns with walkie-talkies in the re-release of “E.T.” is a prime example of a well-intended revision gone awry—an action he later publicly regretted due to backlash.
