Peter Capaldi says he's already shot his Doctor Who death scene

“This is bye-bye.”

Discussing his previously announced exit from Doctor Who, Peter Capaldi made that sobering pronouncement and confirmed that he’s shot his death scene as the Twelfth Doctor. Appearing on BBC’s The Graham Norton Show, Capaldi announced that he has already filmed the inevitable exit of his character despite still having the Christmas special left to shoot.

It’s not all that surprising, considering that the trailer for the upcoming 10th season ended with a shot of the Doctor’s hand exhibiting the familiar golden glow of “regeneration.” The recent tradition has been to end the current Doctor’s arc and execute the regeneration process on the series’ Christmas special. Speculation as to who will be stepping into the TARDIS next continues to rage with Bond’s Ben Whishaw the heavy favorite of British bookmakers. BBC America previously stated that the regeneration will occur on the Christmas special, which means that if Capaldi’s death comes earlier, the process is likely to be far less straightforward than the passing of previous Doctors.

Capaldi went on to discuss why he’s chosen this season as his last, telling Graham Norton, “Doctor Who is a great job, but it is a bit of a television factory. You do 12 episodes a year, and I just worried that I wouldn’t be able to continue to do my best work. I like to be able to learn the lines and do some preparation and come in and give it the vigor and the fun and not hate it. I just figure, while you’re enjoying it, leave.”

The 10th season, which premieres Saturday on BBC America, comes with many shake-ups, including the introduction of the show’s first gay companion, Bill Potts (Pearl Mackie). It will be the last season for both Capaldi and showrunner Steven Moffat, who took over for Russell T. Davies in 2009. New showrunner Chris Chibnall, best known for creating ITV’s Broadchurch with Tenth Doctor David Tennant, will be responsible for selecting the 13th iteration of the iconic Time Lord.