They didn't just decide to "release" these images now. They made a deal with Vanity Fair several months ago to publish that article and these photos for this edition. Same goes for all the magazine spreads WW84 and No TIme to Die have been getting. If the studios had their way, those would've been postponed along with the release of the films. But it wasn't up to them. The magazines still have issues to fill and deadlines to meet, and their agreement with the studios for this content had already been finalized.