Sophie Turner’s Lara Croft Costume Sparks Fan Backlash After New Set Photos

The first batch of production photos of Sophie Turner in costume as Lara Croft has sparked a new round of fan backlash. One of the most iconic characters in video game history, Lara Croft has a highly recognizable image. But the Amazon series appears to be taking the character in a direction that runs counter to fans’ expectations.

NEW on-set photos of Sophie Turner as Lara Croft in the live action ‘TOMB RAIDER’ series! pic.twitter.com/9ErhalVqxp

— Geeks + Gamers (@GeeksGamersCom) February 6, 2026

READ: Fox and Hulu Release First Teaser Trailer for The Faithful: Women of the BibleRather than showing the Tomb Raider heroine in her traditional shorts and tank top, the new on-set images have Turner in tactical gear: a blue vest, gray pants, long sleeves, and combat boots. Though the outfit may be more functional than Lara Croft’s traditional video game attire, many fans object, arguing that it clashes with a character long associated with femininity and sex appeal.

Backlash

Media personality Adrianne Curry was among the first to react online with one of the most widely shared reactions on X.

This is bullsh!t, gentlemen. Im sorry very angry, Man hating weirdos decided your girl needs to dress in a trash bag

If Thor or Kahl Drogo suddenly wore a sweater…Never had their arms exposed, etc..if James Bond never donned a suit…..broads would be pissed. https://t.co/6HzExbVK8I

— Adrianne Curry (@AdrianneCurry) February 7, 2026

“This is bulls**t, gentlemen,” she said. “I’m sorry very angry, man-hating weirdos decided your girl needs to dress in a trash bag… If Thor or Khal Drogo suddenly wore a sweater… broads would be pissed,” Curry wrote in her post.

A scene from Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft (2024), Netflix

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By comparing Sophie Turner’s Lara Croft to male heroes from fantasy franchises, Curry appears to be suggesting that audiences aren’t simply looking for realism — they’re looking for escapism. Lara Croft was never intended to be fully realistic, and the costume worn by Turner is, according to some, generic.

Giant Freakin Robot reacted bluntly, writing: “Oh look, another boring tactical outfit on an action movie character.”

Oh look, another boring tactical outfit on an action movie character.

— GIANT FREAKIN ROBOT (@GFRobot) February 6, 2026

For the millions of fans who have invested countless hours playing the Tomb Raider games, Lara Croft isn’t simply another “action movie character,” but a person with a distinct look. Geeks + Gamers personality and YouTuber Sevvy shared the images and said: “Does not look like Lara Croft at all.”

Does not look like lara croft at all. https://t.co/R6B3yumBQw

— Sevvy (@Sevvy_707) February 6, 2026

Still, some commentators were willing to give the Sophie Turner costume the benefit of the doubt and remain optimistic.

Optimism

Pop Culture Crisis co-host Brett Dasovic said making these images the first ones seen from production was a poor choice. However, he suggested that in a TV show with multiple episodes she won’t be wearing “quintessential Lara Croft Tomb Raider outfit in everything.”

Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft. Cr. COURTESY OF NETFLIX © 2024

He also said that showing these images early on was a poor decision. “If we’re to give them the benefit of the doubt and say that they’re not going to uglify this and turn it into slop that doesn’t resemble its source material at all, then and they actually do have her in the [traditional] costume most of the time, then I would say that you should have led with those images other than just that,” Dasovic said.

Regaining Trust

Earlier images of Turner in costume as Lara Croft were promotional shots. These on-set pictures present a very different image and tone for the series. The stark difference has led some to accuse Amazon of a bait-and-switch.

Bait…. and switch pic.twitter.com/xZAfhPX1mR

— Heel vs Babyface (@heelvsbabyface) February 6, 2026