Judi Dench says Daniel Craig ordered her death. James Bond just got a lot scarier

The Guardian UK Wednesday 04 November 2026, 06:00 UTC By Stuart Heritage 1 min read

Key Points

Not only did Craig insist his 007 die at the end of his run, but now we learn from Dench’s memoir that it was his idea to kill her off too. How will the next Bond top that? Shoot a puppy?Now that the next James Bond actor is on the brink of being unveiled, it may be a good time to take a proper look at the prior 007 with clear eyes.

Not only did Craig insist his 007 die at the end of his run, but now we learn from Dench’s memoir that it was his idea to kill her off too. How will the next Bond top that? Shoot a puppy?

Now that the next James Bond actor is on the brink of being unveiled, it may be a good time to take a proper look at the prior 007 with clear eyes. Because, while the reputations of all the previous Bonds have ossified over the years – in chronological order: sexy, wooden, camp, boring and silly – the Daniel Craig era is finally coming into focus. And it turns out that he was actually the angel of death.

Obviously anyone who saw No Time to Die knows this, because that film ended with Bond being exploded in a hail of missile fire. But according to Judi Dench’s new memoir Is It Too Late to Make a Run for It?, it was also Craig’s decision to kill off M, too.

Judi Dench (PERSON) Daniel Craig (PERSON) James Bond (PERSON) Craig (PERSON) Dench (PERSON) Bond (PERSON)

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Judi Dench says Daniel Craig ordered her death. James Bond just got a lot scarier

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