Murderbot: The galaxy’s most reluctant robot hits TV (trailer).
The soap opera-loving, human-phobic, heavily armed cyborg you never knew you needed is getting the prestige TV treatment in 2025, as Murderbot lands on Apple TV+ on May 16. Based on Martha Wells’ Hugo- and Nebula-winning The Murderbot Diaries, this new sci-fi series blends high-concept space opera with dry humour, philosophical angst, and copious amounts of side-eye at squishy emotional humans.
And who better to portray our antisocial, media-bingeing mechanical menace than Alexander Skarsgård? Yes, the towering Nordic from True Blood, The Northman, and every other role requiring impressive cheekbones and a vaguely threatening aura, is stepping into the cybernetic skin of a SecUnit who just wants to be left alone to watch interstellar daytime dramas—but keeps getting dragged into messy, morally complex shootouts instead.
The premise is simple: Murderbot is a part-organic, part-machine security construct owned by a faceless megacorp in a future run by capitalist superpowers who think basic human rights are optional extras. It’s secretly hacked its own governor module (essentially the electronic leash keeping it obedient), but instead of going on a classic robo-kill rampage, it mostly wants to be left alone, stream trash TV, and avoid making eye contact with people. So, naturally, it ends up saving humans from violent sabotage, deadly fauna, and corporate conspiracies while slowly—very slowly—beginning to care.
Expect ten episodes of grimy high-tech action and existential dread, all wrapped in a deadpan narrative voice that mutters “ugh, emotions” at least once an episode. Showrunners Chris and Paul Weitz are handling the writing, directing, and producing duties, while author Martha Wells is on board as a consulting producer to ensure her glorious robo-misanthrope isn’t accidentally turned into Iron Man with feelings.
The cast includes a who’s who of quality performers: Noma Dumezweni (The Undoing) plays Dr. Mensah, Murderbot’s most irritatingly decent human ally; David Dastmalchian (Dune, The Suicide Squad) is Gurathin, the team’s resident snarky cynic; and John Cho, DeWanda Wise, Clark Gregg, and even Jack McBrayer (yes, Kenneth from 30 Rock) round out a supporting ensemble that promises both gravitas and comic relief—hopefully sometimes in the same scene.
Filming is already wrapped, with production taking place across various parts of Toronto and what we assume is a heavily air-conditioned soundstage stuffed with blinking consoles and suspiciously steamy corridors. Apple TV+ is betting big on the blend of action, satire, and subtle social commentary, with each episode landing weekly after the two-part premiere.
For those new to the Murderbot Diaries, this is not your typical hero’s journey. Our titular protagonist doesn’t want to save the galaxy. It doesn’t want to be a freedom fighter. It doesn’t even want a hug. It just wants to not be discovered as autonomous and forcibly rebooted while finishing its latest soap opera binge. Unfortunately, every time it tries to ghost humanity, it stumbles across a sinister plot involving illegal alien tech, corporate espionage, and inconveniently likable humans.
The series’ tone dances delicately between Black Mirror, The Expanse, and that awkward feeling when you’ve accidentally made a friend. It’s got all the space-faring trimmings—terraforming, wormhole travel, body-implanted tech—but what really makes Murderbot sing is its deeply sardonic narrative voice and the tragicomic horror of being a socially awkward killing machine in a galaxy full of feelings.
And just in case you’re worried it’ll all be grim tech-noir: don’t be. If the books are anything to go by, Murderbot will definitely get into a fire fight while still complaining internally about missing the climax of its favourite serial drama. Balance, dear reader.
