Gunless 007? Amazon U-turn over James Bond firearm censorship backlash

Ever since Amazon took over James Bond, assuming complete control of the spy franchise, fans of the iconic cinematic series have expressed concerns that the streamer may not be the best fit.

Their fears were not assuaged when Amazon Prime Video put out some artwork that had suspiciously edited out the famous spy’s guns.

Several posters, including Dr. No (1962) and GoldenEye (1995) saw Sean Connery and Pierce Brosnan in slightly odd poses, as their weapons were completely airbrushed out.  

It’s particularly noticeable in the portrait of Sean Connery, as the new image has him in a sassy cross-armed pose rather than holding his Walther PPK, looking more judgemental than threatening.

Other posters had Daniel Craig’s hand completely cropped out on the Spectre (2015) poster, in order to not show a firearm.

Backlash was swift with numerous fans noticing the newly censored posters, with pretty much everyone calling out Amazon’s initiative as “insulting”, “maddening” and “pathetic”.  

“Honestly, it’s so pathetic,” one social media user commented. “May as well censor out the words Gun, Die, Octopussy and Kill.”

Another wrote: “Amazon removing images of guns from James Bond cover art is the most American approach to gun control imaginable,” before sarcastically adding: “Well done.” 

It all felt like that misguided initiative from the underrated 2005 satirical comedy Thank You For Smoking, in which a senator played by William H. Macy was trying to airbrush cigarettes from old school Hollywood films in order to replace them with candy to better promote a healthier lifestyle.

Faced with a torrent of criticism and accusations of “cultural vandalism”, Amazon Prime Video appears to have now quietly taken down the doctored images and replaced them with stills from each film.

Fans were quick to point out that none of the stills feature Bond carrying a weapon... 

This is not the first time that the Bond franchise has faced backlash with regards to brand sanitization.  

Two years ago, there were reports that Ian Fleming’s James Bond books were to be republished and rewritten to accommodate 21st century sensitivities, after Ian Fleming Publications Ltd commissioned a review by “sensitivity readers.” 

The changes included the removal of a number of racial references, as well as the mentioning of ethnicity when it came to certain characters. 

At the time, Euronews Culture spoke to Ian Fleming biographer Andrew Lycett, who commented on the planned rewrites and whether this initiative was appropriate or a form of literary censorship.  

“I feel pretty strongly that it is what Fleming wrote and that it should stay that way. He’s not around to “Yes, I agree”,” said Lycett, adding: “Ian Fleming wrote what he wrote and the right thing is to keep it as it is.” 

He stated: “You can’t change James Bond. He is what he is. He is a character of his time. (...) This is a form of censorship, there’s no real doubt about that.” 

Read the full interview here.  

Last year, we also reported that the British Film Institute (BFI) was planning to include warnings prior to the screening of James Bond films – something which also garnered criticism and some Roger Moore-style raised eyebrows.

The latest aesthetic adjustment SNAFU from Amazon has left a bitter taste in the mouths of fans, who are still concerned about the future of the franchise without long-time producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli at the creative helm.  

In February, it was announced that American-owned Amazon MGM had taken full creative control of the 007 series, with the producing duo remaining co-owners of the franchise.  

Oscar-nominated Dune director Denis Villeneuve has been tapped to direct the 26th Bond film for Amazon MGM, with Peaky Blinders creator and writer Steven Knight hired to write the next adventure. 

Villeneuve is reportedly on the hunt for an unknown actor to take over as James Bond – contrary to previous reports that Aaron Taylor-Johnson was the favourite and that Amazon had a defined shortlist of actors for the coveted role.  

The yet untitled Bond 26 is not expected to be released until 2028.