Do American mass shootings change the way you watch gun violence in Hollywood movies? Should they? Nobody blames moviegoers for enjoying that brand of entertainment, no matter how many bullets fly for two straight hours.



But we continue to find ourselves asking these questions in the wake of more violent tragedies involving guns.



As a fan of action movies dating back to the dawn of the medium, I'm as big a fan of directors like John Woo, James Cameron, Martin Scorsese and Michael Bay, whose work is steeped in gun violence merely meant to put smiles on the faces of those seeking it out. That said, in light of so many real world atrocities, it's now hard to ignore all the posters featuring A-list celebrities brandishing firearms when we walk into the theater lobby.



With larger platforms, people are louder than ever about the gun debate. But even real world incidents haven't stopped Hollywood from appealing to our firearm-infused sensibilities. We have a thirst for cinematic carnage propelled by balletic bullet battles, and we don't think twice about it. So that's why we see so many guns in our movie marketing. In fact, it's hard to avoid it.



In the aftermath of the Orlando nightclub massacre in 2016, I compiled a list of 25 releases from that year whose posters feature characters with guns. Little more than a year later, after the horrible tragedy that left 59 dead in Las Vegas, we once again couldn't help but notice how prominent guns remain on movie posters, perhaps even more than ever. So we found 41 posters from films released in 2017.



And now after the awful mass shootings in Parkland, Houston and elsewhere throughout the U.S. in 2018, as the gun debate rages on and even focuses on the entertainment industry's role in it, the firearm-heavy marketing hasn't changed at all.



This time, we found 44 movie posters for movies from 2018 that prominently feature guns on them.



Again, no one blames you (or me) for champing at the bit to see movies that have gun play. We love movies of all kinds that involve firearms be they based in reality or fantasy. Certain genres about real people and historical events make it impossible to avoid telling stories without the use of those kinds of weapons.



But as the gun debate continues to rage on, we can't help but notice movie posters like these from Hollywood, a place perceived as a liberal paradise keen on preaching about moral values and responsibilities. Does that make Hollywood hypocritical? Take a look at these posters from 2018, and you tell us.

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We repeat: It's nothing new

Dating back to the dawn of movie marketing, guns have dominated movie posters. And why shouldn't they? Even those looking to films as an escape from the horrors of the real world rarely hesitate to buy a ticket for the latest action flick in which our hero vanquishes villains with a 9-milimeter or 12-gauge. It's a part of our DNA, thus it's a part of Hollywood's. Their product reflects our wants and desires, so that's why Dirty Harry holds a .44 Magnum.

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7 Days in Entebbe

This historical thriller starring Daniel Bruhl and Rosamund Pike tells the story of the 1976 hijacking of an Air France flight en route from Tel Aviv to Paris, and the most daring rescue mission ever attempted. Each poster sees someone brandishing long-barrelled guns.

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(Focus Features)

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12 Strong

Starring Chris Hemsworth and Michael Shannon, this tells the story of the first Special Forces team deployed to Afghanistan after 9/11. Again, some films cannot avoid telling the stories without firearms, namely war pictures.

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(Warner Bros.)

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Acts of Violence

If Bruce Willis is in it, chances are there's gunplay. This time, his co-star Cole Hauser sports a pistol for this crime thriller. (Lionsgate Premiere)

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Annihilation

Natalie Portman stars as a biologist who signs up for a dangerous, secret expedition into a mysterious zone where the laws of nature don't apply. They bring some big guns to fight whatever's out there in Alex Garland's sci-fi flick.

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(Paramount)

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Armed

Mario Van Peebles directs and stars in this thriller about a U.S. Marshal. (GVN Releasing)

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Assassination Nation

A small town turns on each other and descends into violent chaos after a malicious data attack. The poster features young women pointing several guns off screen. (Neon)

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Beirut

Jon Hamm and Rosamund Pike star in this thriller about CIA operatives who send a former U.S. diplomat to negotiate for the life of a friend he left behind. Guns and shaking hands are blended together here. (Bleecker Street)

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The Commuter

Liam Neeson's gun is slightly cut off a the bottom of this poster for his latest thriller, set aboard a commuter train. (Lionsgate)

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Deadpool 2

Marvel and 20th Century Fox continue to score big box office numbers thanks to this subversive comic antihero's penchant for profanity and shooting bad guys in the head. The guns and bullets come in waves, as several posters in the movie's aggressive marketing campaign promise.

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(20th Century Fox)

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Death Wish

Eli Roth couldn't remake the Charles Bronson B-movie without a few bullets flying. Bruce Willis shows off a pistol, one of many weapons he uses in the movie. (MGM)

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Den of Thieves

Cops and robbers usually shoot at each other in cops-and-robbers flicks. This one starring Gerard Butler and 50 Cent is no different.

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(STX Entertainment)

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The Equalizer 2

Similar to Liam Neeson's on "The Commuter" poster, Denzel Washington's pistol barely makes it into the frame for his upcoming "Equalizer" sequel about a man who serves justice for the exploited and oppressed. (Columbia)

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Gringo

This dark comedy about a businessman caught up in the world of drug cartels puts all of its drugs, money and guns on the table.

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(Amazon Studios)

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The Happytime Murders

When the puppet cast of a 1980s children's TV show begins to get murdered one by one, a disgraced LAPD detective-turned-private eye puppet takes on the case. The red-band trailer promises sex, drugs and violence, all involving puppets. (STX Entertainment)

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Hunter Killer

Gerard Butler stars as a U.S. submarine captain tasked with rescuing the Russian president. He'll need guns to do it, of course. (Summit Entertainment)

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Johnny English Strikes Again

The British secret agent comes out of retirement, and he's packing. (Universal)

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Mile 22

Mark Wahlberg stars as an American intelligence officer who tries to smuggle a mysterious police officer with sensitive information out of the country. Director Peter Berg's recent action flicks like "Lone Survivor" and "Patriots Day" have featured serious shootouts. Expect more. (STX Entertainment)

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Mission: Impossible -- Fallout

Spy movies have guns. Tom Cruise sports a pistol on each of these posters for the sixth "Mission: Impossible" movie.

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(Paramount)

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Proud Mary

Taraji P. Henson plays a gun-toting assassin in this action thriller released in January.

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(Screen Gems)

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Rampage

Not sure how you stop massive monsters destroying skyscrapers without heavy artillery. Dwayne Johnson knows this, obviously. (Warner Bros.)

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Revenge

This indie flick follows a young woman who is assaulted by three married men and left for dead but she returns with revenge on her mind. (Neon)

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Sicario: Day of the Soldado

We didn't expect a sequel to the 2015 drug cartel thriller, but if we did, we definitely would have expected more intense gun play, carried out by star Benicio Del Toro.

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(Columbia)

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Solo: A Star Wars Story

Technically, they're "blasters" in the "Star Wars" universe, but they sure do look like the guns we see everywhere else.

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(Disney)

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Terminal

Femme fatale Margot Robbie and others sport pistols on the poster for this action-packed British noir out this summer. (RLJE Films)

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What part do movies play?

Do movies and other media play a role in creating a violent culture in reality?



Again, these movie posters are nothing new. But the prevalence of guns in our movie marketing becomes more and more noticeable with each bit of shocking and tragic news of gun violence in the real world.



Has gun violence ever changed how you watch movies or perceive their marketing? Please share your thoughts in the comments.

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Guns on 2017 Movie Posters

See our list of 41 movie posters from 2017 that sold us with guns

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Guns on 2016 Movie Posters

See our list of 25 movie posters from 2016 that sold us with guns