James Bond, the world’s most famous fictional spy, has never looked quite like this. In a move that’s left fans shaken—and definitely stirred—Amazon Prime Video has quietly edited classic James Bond movie posters, removing not just Bond’s signature gun, but in some cases, the iconic “Bond girls” as well. The digital alterations, which surfaced in early October 2025, have ignited a fierce backlash from 007 aficionados and cultural commentators alike, who accuse Amazon of sanitizing the franchise for modern sensibilities and erasing the very elements that made Bond, well, Bond.
According to reporting by Cosmic Book News and Daily Mail, the controversy erupted when eagle-eyed fans noticed that nearly every Bond film listed on Prime Video—spanning classics like Goldfinger, Thunderball, GoldenEye, Octopussy, and Skyfall—now features poster artwork with Bond’s gun digitally erased. The changes are exclusive to Prime Video’s digital listings and do not appear on original theatrical or Blu-ray releases available through Amazon Marketplace. The edits, achieved through Photoshop or AI techniques, have left many posters looking oddly sterile, more like advertisements for men’s fashion than the high-stakes world of international espionage.
Fans didn’t take long to voice their disapproval. Social media accounts like SpyHards posted side-by-side comparisons of the original and altered posters, prompting a flood of incredulous reactions. “Welcome to a world where promoting James Bond 007 needs to be done without his sidearm,” one fan wrote, while another quipped, “License not to kill,” referencing Bond’s famous catchphrase. Even tech mogul Elon Musk weighed in, leaving a pair of exclamation marks under a post about the changes. The sentiment was echoed across platforms: longtime Bond enthusiasts see these edits as an attempt to “sanitize” or “woke-wash” the franchise, stripping away the very symbols—guns and glamorous women—that have defined 007 since his first cinematic outing in 1962’s Dr. No.
For many, the gun is not just a prop; it’s an essential part of Bond’s persona. As Screen Rant notes, “James Bond is best known for wielding his Walther PPK,” a firearm that has become synonymous with the character since Ian Fleming’s novels and throughout the decades of films. The removal of the gun—and, in some cases, the Bond girls—has left fans feeling like they’re looking at a different character altogether.
Take, for example, the new poster for Dr. No. Where Sean Connery’s Bond once stood with a casual yet lethal confidence, gun in hand, the new artwork simply shows him with his arms crossed, his trigger finger awkwardly folded away. In Octopussy, Roger Moore’s Bond no longer brandishes his pistol; instead, his hand is lowered out of frame, and his pose seems more suited to a department store ad than a spy thriller. Pierce Brosnan’s once-menacing stance in GoldenEye—gun raised, ready for action—has been replaced with a fist clutching nothing, against a gold-tinted background. The effect, as one reviewer put it, is that “these posters resemble a clothing ad for the Amazon shopping service.”
It’s not just the guns that are missing. In some cases, the female leads—an integral (if often controversial) part of Bond’s cinematic legacy—have been erased as well. The original Moonraker poster, for example, featured Moore surrounded by women in a dramatic space setting, gun in hand. The new version? Moore stands alone, hands behind his back, the cosmic backdrop and female companions gone. The Thunderball poster, once showing Connery with Bond girl Patricia Fearing, now features only Connery, sans pistol.
The rationale behind these edits has not been publicly explained by Amazon, but the timing is notable. Amazon acquired the Bond franchise rights after purchasing MGM studios earlier in 2025 for around £1 billion. With a new Bond film on the horizon—directed by Denis Villeneuve, written by Steven Knight, and produced by Tanya Lapointe, Amy Pascal, and David Heyman—the company is clearly looking to put its stamp on the franchise. Yet, instead of generating excitement, these poster changes have amplified anxieties among the fanbase about the future direction of 007.
Those anxieties have been simmering for some time. Earlier reports indicated that Amazon considered a female 007 and a Marvel-style cinematic universe with spin-offs, ideas reportedly shut down by longtime Bond producer Barbara Broccoli. However, recent rumors suggest that Jeff Bezos has removed Broccoli from creative control, further fueling speculation about sweeping changes to the franchise’s DNA. While current plans point to a younger male British actor taking up the mantle of Bond, the possibility of a “race swap” or additional reimaginings remains open.
For many fans, the poster edits are a canary in the coal mine—evidence that Amazon may be willing to discard tradition in pursuit of broader appeal or to avoid controversy. As one fan pointed out online, even as the guns are erased from Bond’s hands, the famous 007 logo—where the “7” is stylized as a pistol—remains untouched, a jarring inconsistency that only seems to underscore the awkwardness of the changes. “Did they not notice the damn logo has a gun in it?!?” one incredulous fan asked.
The edits have also sparked debate over the effectiveness of such measures. Critics argue that removing guns and women from the posters does little to change the content of the films themselves, which remain as action-packed and provocative as ever. Instead, the new artwork may mislead new viewers about what to expect, while alienating longtime fans who see the posters as an integral part of Bond’s cultural identity. “The posters no longer convey Bond’s iconic image as a deadly spy with a gun,” Screen Rant observed, with many of the new images making Bond appear “less like a spy and more like a model or a man in casual poses.”
Of course, the conversation around Bond has always reflected broader cultural shifts. The franchise has weathered criticism for its portrayals of violence, women, and international politics for decades. But the current backlash suggests that, for many, there’s a line between updating a character for a new era and erasing the traits that made him iconic in the first place.
As Amazon prepares to launch its first Bond film under its stewardship, directed by Villeneuve and with a fresh creative team, the world will be watching to see whether 007’s next chapter honors his legacy—or continues to rewrite it. For now, fans can only hope that what’s missing from the posters won’t be missing from the movies themselves.
Whether these changes mark a bold new vision or a misguided attempt to appease contemporary tastes, one thing is clear: James Bond remains as controversial—and as captivating—as ever.
