007 Disarmed - The Franchise Removes Guns from Posters

On the occasion of James Bond Day, Amazon published new digital posters for the films of the world's most famous secret agent. Of course, a striking detail did not go unnoticed: the disappearance of the legendary Walther PPK pistol.

In some, like those for Dr. No and GoldenEye, Sean Connery and Pierce Brosnan literally seemed to be holding nothing; in others, like Live and Let Die or A View to a Kill, the photo retouches were so evident that they even deformed Roger Moore's arms.

You Don't Mess with an Absolute Legend

Fans' reactions were immediate: amidst accusations of censorship and social media mockery, the choice was deemed "absurd" for a character whose weapon is an integral part of his visual identity and the famous introductory sequence. Faced with an avalanche of criticism, Amazon quickly scrambled to fix it by replacing the images with stills from the films, which were still devoid of weapons.

A misstep that could prove costly, considering the American giant invested nearly 10 billion dollars to secure the saga: 8.5 billion for the acquisition of MGM in 2021 and an additional billion in 2025 for creative and production control of future films.

Meanwhile, social media had fun filling the void in Bond's hands, imagining surreal alternatives: Martinis, remote controls, balloons, and even vacuum cleaners. One thing is certain: taking away 007's gun is like revoking his license to kill.

Who knows how the great Albert "Cubby" Broccoli and Ian Fleming, fathers of the saga, would have reacted, and what Barbara Broccoli, now without control of the franchise, might have thought. Bets are open for the next film and the risk of radical changes compared to the past.