Amazon made a bizarre move by editing guns out of the James Bond posters, which has left fans perplexed.

Earlier this year, Amazon MGM Studios paid $1 billion to get creative control over the James Bond franchise. Ever since Dr. No was released in 1962, the Broccoli family has led the 007 films. Now, there’s a big question mark surrounding one of the longest-running franchises.

After Daniel Craig’s final outing, No Time To Die, was released in 2021, fans have been eager to find out what’s next for the franchise. Who will play the character? Will the tone shift back to the earlier film’s more exaggerated fun style, or stick with the darker themes from the Craig era?

Ever since Amazon took control in February, fans have been concerned about Bond’s future. With these new altered posters, their apprehension is only growing.

Why did Amazon remove Bond’s guns?

As you can see in the post below, Bond posters that once included guns now show the former Bonds in awkward positions. While Amazon has not explicitly said why this choice was made, it’s likely due to the current political climate.

Gun control is one of the biggest hot-button issues out there. Mass shootings have become commonplace in the United States, while the people in charge refuse to take gun reform seriously. The topic has only become more heated in recent weeks due to the assassination of Charlie Kirk. The right-wing podcaster was previously quoted as saying gun deaths were “worth it” to protect the Second Amendment. The fact that he was killed by a gun has only fueled the debate, leaving both sides of the aisle more passionate about their stance than ever.

Likely, Amazon didn’t want one of its biggest franchises to be instantly associated with guns. The problem? James Bond is a spy, and having a gun is a huge part of his identity.

What are people saying about Amazon’s new Bond posters?

Bonds fans are confused about Amazon’s choice to remove guns from the posters. People were already skeptical about the sale, and this decision isn’t helping.

“I still can’t believe that Amazon thought it was a good idea to photoshop the James Bond posters to erase the gun from them. The absurdity of the reasoning leaves me speechless,” one fan wrote.

“Hey @AmazonMGMStudio, WTF is wrong with you? Get your [expetive] together and fast. You’re about to alienate your core fanbase and destroy the franchise you paid billions for. Bond is an ASSASSIN. He is NOT a GQ model. This is what creative control looks like? Are you total idiots?” another fan wrote.

“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,” one person observed.

Amazon reacts to Bond backlash

While no one from Amazon has made any specific statements about the Bond posters, they have since quietly removed the edited versions. It’s clear the backlash was loud enough that they realized their mistake. However, the damage is done when it comes to shaking up people’s faith in their ability to lead the longstanding franchise.

The biggest test for Amazon will ultimately be the Bond casting. There have been rumors swirling over the last couple of years with names ranging from Tom Holland and Aaron Taylor-Johnson to Richard Madden and Henry Cavill. Whoever the next 007 is, Amazon has some big shoes to fill from the Broccoli family.

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