James Bond is facing censorship for the first time in his 63-year history.
Amazon MGM, which now controls the rights to the franchise, has quietly begun editing how 007 is presented across its platforms — just as development ramps up on the next Bond film reboot from Dune and Blade Runner 2049 director Denis Villeneuve.
Earlier this month, Prime Video uploaded digitally altered versions of several vintage Bond posters that removed the spy’s trademark gun. Dr. No, GoldenEye, and Spectre were among the several affected titles, with the new images showing the likes of Sean Connery, Pierce Brosnan, and Daniel Craig all striking poses that looked awkward, to say the least.
One example showed Connery’s Bond awkwardly clutching his hands where his Walther PPK used to be. Following criticism online, Amazon replaced the artwork with alternative posters — but none of them feature firearms.
The changes haven’t stopped there. Fans recently discovered that almost all of the 25 official James Bond films on Prime Video now include trigger warnings that include “violence,” “alcohol use,” “smoking,” “sexual content,” and even “womanising.”
These disclaimers appear before each movie, signaling a clear attempt to modernize 007 for today’s audiences — but not everyone’s happy about it.
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Meanwhile, there’s a clear contrast between this new corporate approach and the tone of “007 First Light”, the upcoming video game from IO Interactive.
That project, officially licensed by Amazon MGM, reportedly features a much younger, Bond, played by Patrick Gibson (Dexter: Original Sin), who has been described by the developers as “brutal”.
The difference in tone between the game and Amazon’s sanitized handling of the films has left fans wondering what kind of Bond the studio actually wants to deliver.
As for the rebooted movie series, Villeneuve is set to begin casting next year once he wraps Dune: Part Three. How much of the old 007 will remain when the franchise returns to theaters is another question entirely — especially if Amazon is already literally scrubbing away the image that helped make him famous in the first place.
What do you think about the changes made to James Bond on Amazon Prime Video? Share your thoughts with us in the comments down below!
