Amazon has stirred up a digital firestorm after releasing promotional artwork for its James Bond movie franchise catalog that conspicuously omitted 007’s signature firearm, a move that didn’t go unnoticed by longtime fans of the series. In celebration of James Bond Day on October 5, Amazon updated its Amazon Prime Video subscription platform in the UK with new poster-style thumbnails for classic Bond films. But eagle-eyed viewers quickly spotted something... missing.
“Notice in these Amazon #JamesBond digital posters, they’ve removed all the guns and given awkward poses?” wrote X user @GelNerd, who first highlighted the changes with side-by-side images, which you can see below, showing the new edits versus the original posters. “Welcome to a world where promoting James Bond 007 needs to be done without his sidearm.” His posts quickly gained traction, sparking debate among fans and pundits alike over what some saw as a sanitized revision of the legendary spy’s image.
Notice in these Amazon #JamesBond digital posters they’ve removed all the guns and given awkward poses?Welcome to a world where promoting James Bond 007 needs to be done without his sidearm. pic.twitter.com/3NGkxXShcnOctober 2, 2025
The altered posters spanned every era of 007 — from the Sean Connery movies to the Roger Moore era and the Pierce Brosnan flicks, all the way through to the Daniel Craig era. Iconic titles like Dr. No, GoldenEye, and Octopussy, that usually depict the spy confidently wielding his Walther PPK, now depict him awkwardly folding his arms or gesturing with empty hands. In some cases, such as the Spectre promo featuring Daniel Craig, the gun was simply cropped out of the frame. One A View to a Kill poster with Moore, even appeared to digitally extend his arm to hide the pistol entirely, a change that left many fans raising their eyebrows.
The backlash was swift. Adventure novelist Scott McCrea wrote about the edits:
At the risk of sounding hyperbolic, this is nothing less than cultural vandalism.
British actor Rufus Jones joked that the new poses made it look as if Bond was making offensive gestures. The Rivals actor posted:
Amazon have removed the guns from their Bond posters, giving the tantalising impression that Sean Connery and Pierce Brosnan think you’re a wanker.
Some fans even created memes replacing the missing gun with everything from bananas to hairdryers. But my personal favorite is Brosnan holding a hoagie, that might or might not be a secret Q gadget.
Missed opportunity to showcase some Q gadgets tbh... https://t.co/w4kVXy9mqN pic.twitter.com/57LjIwWi1IOctober 3, 2025
Many fans found the decision a troubling sign of how the upcoming James Bond 26 and the franchise as a whole could be headed under Amazon MGM Studios, which now holds the reins to the 007 empire. With Dune director Denis Villeneuve recently announced as the next Bond film’s director, the franchise is clearly in transition — but for many, removing Bond’s gun goes too far. Here are some of the most pointed criticisms from longtime fans:
- @Commenter51 – “I mean a spy can be unarmed but isn’t he supposed to be a licensed assassin?”
- @FPLObiWan – “Can’t wait to watch The Man with the Golden.”
- @johnklyza – “He looks guarded and insecure now…”
- @grungewater — “Are they going to do the same thing to Clint Eastwood films?”
- @HumanoidHistory – “If they want to downplay guns in promotional images, so be it. But it’s so obvious and ham-fisted. Heck, they bought the archive. Go find some find some fresh pics, Amazon!”
As of this writing Amazon hasn't responded to the controversy, but the streamer quietly updated their Prime Video artwork over the weekend. The new thumbnails feature stills from the actual films, but, none of the current images show 007 clearly holding a firearm.
As of now, fans in the UK can browse the Bond library on Prime Video without the “gunless” thumbnails, but the damage has been done. The incident has reignited ongoing conversations about modernizing legacy franchises without erasing or whitewashing key elements of their identity.
