Amazon has quietly dealt with backlash online after releasing doctored James Bond images that removed the character’s guns.
Last week, Prime Video UK released vintage artwork on its site, displaying edited images for iconic Bond films.
The images showed classic posters for Spectre and GoldenEye without guns, which resulted in some interesting editing choices from the platform.
For the image of A View To A Kill, Roger Moore’s body appeared to be lengthened from a grab from the film. Similarly, an image from Spectre was cropped so Daniel Craig’s hand – which was holding a gun – was no longer visible.
In an image for Dr No, Sean Connery’s gun being edited from his hand resulted in him looking like a model with his arms crossed high over his chest.
Quietly responding to the backlash, Amazon has removed the posters from the site, returning to different images to promote each film in the franchise. Notably, none of the images that have been selected show Bond with a gun.
The initial backlash to the images was brutal, with many calling out Amazon for removing the ‘symbol’ of who the character is.
‘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,’ said GelNerd on X.
‘Amazon just removed guns from James Bond posters on Prime Video — erasing the iconic Walther PPK from classic 007 imagery. Bond without his gun is like Batman without his cape — you’ve stripped away the very symbol of who he is,’ said JakeCan72.
‘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,’ said J0hnADouglas.
However, after reverting the images back, there was some praise among fans.
‘Amazon have discreetly reversed their decision and restored the original #JamesBond artwork with the guns intact! Shameful that we even ended up here, but who’s happy to see sanity prevail?, said SpyHards.
Ever since Daniel Craig stepped down as James Bond in 2021, there has been huge speculation about who will play 007 next. Every other week, the bookies are changing their odds and predicting who might be the next Casanova to fill in the shoes of the beloved icon.
Jack Lowden, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Callum Turner, and Theo James have all been front-runners for some time, but there’s been a recent twist in the tale.
Deadline confirmed that director Denis Villeneuve is looking for three things in the next 007: a man, a Brit, and an unknown, effectively ruining the bookies’ odds of the who’s who of major names in Hollywood.
Happy Valley star James Norton also officially ruled himself out of the running.
‘I think I am too old. I turned 40 this summer,’ the House of Guinness actor said in an interview with The Mirror, suggesting that the lucky actor could be younger.
‘It is a difficult decision as it will change your life,’ he continued, sharing how his career could skyrocket if he were to get the role.
‘I have no idea what it is like to be Leonardo DiCaprio. I imagine the apex is pretty big, but I like the fact that I can leave my house and go down to the shop.
‘There is no conversation going on. It is as if someone has a bet on in Wolverhampton, and it is nonsense and I have paps outside my door. It is all speculation.’
Metro reached out to a representative for Amazon who declined to comment.