Martin Freeman airbrushed in new Hobbit posters

Bilbo's unexpected journey appears to have started making him look younger...

A new poster of Martin Freeman released on 'The Hobbit' Facebook page overnight appears to have replaced the star of 'The Office' in favour of a different actor.

Fans were extremely quick - not to mention unanimous - in picking up on the fact that while most of the new posters appeared to be relatively normal (though Orlando Bloom's looks a little fudged too), Freeman's was bordering unrecognisable.

[Melissa McCarthy the latest to star to be digitally enhanced on poster]

“Did the photo-editing crew even watch the movies or see what the actors actually look like? Or are they just using artistic freedom? I would be p***ed if I were Martin Freeman and they did this to my face. It barely resembles him,” said one.

“Yikes,” added another. “Who knew Middle Earth had plastic surgeons. It's all looking good until you look at his... well... face.”

The other posters show Thorin Oakshield, Gandalf, Tauriel, Thranduil and Bard the Bowman, but it's Bilbo that's got everyone talking.

[McCarthy and Feig respond to The Heat poster controversy]

It's the first major Photoshopping incident since Melissa McCarthy was transformed into another actress over the summer in the posters for 'The Heat'.

That incident caused consternation across the web, and director Paul Feig called the incident 'a bummer'.

McCarthy later joked that her husband Ben Falcone had been behind the move.

Check out Orlando Bloom singing the viral 'Lord of the Rings' song on the Hobbit set...