“007 or 0/10?” — Fans Outraged After Amazon Removes Guns From James Bond Movie Posters

James Bond may have a license to thrill — but apparently, not to hold a gun.

Over the weekend, fans of the iconic 007 franchise noticed something strange while browsing Prime Video in the U.K.: several Bond movie thumbnails had been subtly — and in some cases, awkwardly — altered to remove firearms from the images. What followed was a social media storm of confusion, disbelief, and a fair bit of humor.

“They’ve turned the world’s deadliest spy into a mime,” one viral tweet joked, amassing over 500,000 likes in less than a day.

A Vanishing Act Gone Wrong

The edits were first spotted on posters for classic and modern Bond films, including those featuring Daniel Craig, Pierce Brosnan, and Roger Moore. In the altered thumbnails, Bond’s trademark Walther PPK — a weapon as synonymous with the character as his martini preference — had mysteriously disappeared.

The results, fans say, were bizarre. “Why is Pierce Brosnan’s hand just floating like that?” one viewer wrote. “Did Daniel Craig lose his thumbs?” Another quipped that Roger Moore’s stretched arm “looked like an inflatable tube man from a car dealership.”

The peculiar changes quickly caught the internet’s attention, sparking debates about censorship, artistic intent, and brand consistency.

Fan Backlash Prompts Quick Fix

By Monday morning, the controversy had grown loud enough for Prime Video U.K. to quietly revert the thumbnails to their original versions — though not before screenshots had spread widely across social platforms.

However, sharp-eyed fans in the U.S. have noted similar alterations, including to the Skyfall thumbnail, where Bond’s gun appears to have been edited out more discreetly. Amazon has yet to comment publicly on the design changes or whether they were intentional.

A Question of Identity

Since Amazon’s acquisition of MGM — the studio behind the Bond franchise — speculation has swirled over how the tech giant would handle the storied series. Many fans initially welcomed the move, hoping it would lead to ambitious filmmaking and innovative global distribution.

But the removal of guns from promotional materials has left some questioning whether the company truly understands the legacy it purchased.

“Bond without a gun is like Indiana Jones without a hat,” one film critic wrote. “You can modernize him, but you can’t erase what makes him who he is.”

The Bigger Picture

Industry insiders suggest the decision could reflect a broader trend in Hollywood and streaming toward sensitivity around violent imagery — especially in marketing materials accessible to younger viewers. Still, for a character whose very silhouette has been defined by a gun barrel sequence for over 60 years, the change feels jarring to many.

As one fan put it: “It’s not about glorifying violence — it’s about preserving cinematic history. The gun isn’t the message. It’s the symbol.”

Shaken, Not Stirred — But Definitely Cropped

While Prime Video may have restored the original thumbnails, the controversy has reignited a familiar debate: how much can modern studios alter legacy art to fit new sensibilities without erasing its essence?

For now, James Bond’s gun may be back — but so are questions about what, exactly, Amazon plans to do with one of cinema’s most enduring icons.

Or, as another fan quipped online: “First they took his gun. What’s next — his martini?”