Apple TV+ Gears Up for Murderbot—The Sci-Fi Thriller That’s Also a Comedy
Alexander Skarsgård stars as a rogue security unit with a penchant for futuristic soap operas—and yes, he still looks like an immortal vampire.
Apple TV+ is leaning hard into the genre-bending goldmine with its upcoming sci-fi thriller Murderbot, an adaptation of Martha Wells’ Hugo and Nebula Award-winning book series. It’s the kind of show that makes you question free will, the nature of humanity, and whether your AI assistant secretly hates you—all while delivering deadpan humor and high-stakes action.
At the center of it all is Alexander Skarsgård, who continues to defy the laws of aging like he’s still draining humans dry in True Blood. Only this time, instead of lurking in Bon Temps, he’s stepping into the exoskeleton of a self-hacking, hyper-lethal security construct who just wants to be left alone to binge-watch futuristic soap operas. (Relatable).
A Rogue AI with a Sense of Humor—And an Existential Crisis
Murderbot follows a sentient SecUnit that has secretly overridden its programming and gained free will—but rather than go full Skynet, it mostly wants to avoid human interaction at all costs. Unfortunately for it (and fortunately for us), that plan goes sideways when it finds itself entangled in a high-risk mission protecting a group of fragile, emotionally unpredictable humans. The result? A sharp, thrilling, and darkly comedic exploration of identity, autonomy, and whether AI can develop an addiction to trash TV.
Sci-Fi with Bite (and Snark)
While Apple TV+ has been flexing its sci-fi muscles with hits like Foundation and Silo, Murderbot promises a refreshingly irreverent take on the genre. Think Westworld meets The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, with a dash of Fleabag—if Fleabag were a murderous cyborg who sighed heavily every time a human did something stupid.
With Skarsgård at the helm—who, let’s be honest, hasn’t visibly aged since playing an actual vampire on HBO—the series is set to deliver both heart-pounding action and hilariously awkward AI-human interactions. The actor’s signature mix of deadpan wit and physical intensity makes him the perfect choice for a character that’s as lethal as it is reluctantly charming.
Mark Your Calendars: May 16 Premiere on Apple TV+
Murderbot is officially set to debut on May 16, 2025, bringing its mix of action, humor, and existential dread to the small screen. Given the acclaimed source material, the charismatic lead, and the streamer’s recent track record of high-production sci-fi, Murderbot could very well become the next genre obsession.
Until then, we can only hope Apple releases a teaser soon—because we need to see Skarsgård rolling his cybernetic eyes at humanity in HD.
