Amazon’s recent decision to remove guns from James Bond posters on Prime Video has sparked a heated debate—and it’s a move that has left many fans scratching their heads. This weekend, we shared the news that Amazon Prime Video released new digital posters to celebrate James Bond Day, but with a surprising twist: all the guns were digitally erased from the images. You can read the full story here (https://www.joblo.com/amazon-removes-all-guns-from-james-bond-digital-posters-on-prime/).
After a wave of backlash from devoted fans, Amazon quickly reinstated the older poster thumbnails that had been available on the platform for months. At first glance, this seemed like a win for the Bond community. But here’s where it gets controversial—some of those restored images were also altered, with guns removed or cropped out. Take a closer look, and you’ll see what we mean.
It’s genuinely baffling that Amazon would tamper with one of the most iconic images from Skyfall, a film that’s a cornerstone of the Bond franchise. What’s even stranger is that Amazon Prime doesn’t usually shy away from showing guns in other action movie posters. In fact, a quick glance at my Prime Video queue reveals that nearly every other action title prominently features firearms in their promotional images—except for the 007 posters.
So, what’s behind this odd inconsistency? Who made the call to sanitize Bond’s signature weaponry? One theory is that Amazon might be trying to position James Bond for a younger, perhaps more sensitive audience, and is therefore cautious about displaying guns. While I’m less bothered by the new posters that simply crop images from the films, the outright removal of guns from key visuals like Skyfall feels like an unnecessary overreach.
Consider this: Amazon paid a staggering $1 billion to acquire MGM Studios, the home of James Bond (https://www.joblo.com/james-bond-amazon-mgm-studios-1-billion/). So why the hesitation to show Bond with his classic Walther PPK? When the next 007 movie hits theaters, will the marketing shy away from featuring Bond with his iconic firearm? Whether you love it or hate it, guns—and the glamorous women Bond encounters—are integral to the character’s cinematic identity. Erasing these elements feels like a slap in the face to the fans who have supported this legendary series for decades, making it one of the most successful and enduring franchises in film history.
What’s your take on Amazon’s decision to reverse course but still censor some images? Do you think this is a necessary step toward modernizing the brand, or a misguided attempt that disrespects the legacy of James Bond? We’d love to hear your thoughts—agree or disagree, share your opinion in the comments below!
About the Author
Editor-in-Chief - JoBlo
Favorite Movies: Goodfellas, A Clockwork Orange, Boogie Nights, Goldfinger, Casablanca, Scarface (1983), Heat, The Guns of Navarone, The Dirty Dozen, Pulp Fiction, Taxi Driver, Blade Runner, and classic film noir.
Likes: Movies, vinyl LPs, James Bond, true Hollywood memoirs, The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast, every sixties British pop band, every 80s new wave band—really, all eighties music, even the not-so-great stuff—and of course, Tom Friggin' Cruise!
)
