New York (CNN) 20th Century Fox is apologizing for an "X-Men: Apocalypse" promotional image showing Jennifer Lawrence's character Mystique being strangled by villain Apocalypse.

The grim image was plastered on roadside billboards, posters and is featured in the movie's trailer.

Social media has been smoldering over the ads showing such violence to a woman.

The film studio responded to the backlash by saying that they were removing the image from promotional materials.

"In our enthusiasm to show the villainy of the character Apocalypse we didn't immediately recognize the upsetting connotation of this image in print form," Fox said in a statement. "Once we realized how insensitive it was, we quickly took steps to remove those materials. We apologize for our actions and would never condone violence against women."