Murderbot cast, plot and episode guide for new Apple TV sci-fi series
Based on The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells, it stars Alexander Skarsgård as a security android with a difference, in a show which blends sci-fi, comedy and thrilling action.
Emmy Award winner Skarsgård not only stars in the series but is also the executive producer, with Chris and Paul Weitz the creators and writers of the show.
Debuting this week, it offers a window into a world where robots start to become sentient and find a path to free will.
Murderbot has self-hacked and gained free will and thought (Photo: AppleTV+)
What is Murderbot about?
Based on Martha Wells’ best-selling books, Murderbot is a sci-fi action/thriller/comedy about a partly biological security cyborg.
Privately calling itself Murderbot, it has self-hacked its governing module and gained free thought and will.
Now it finds itself both drawn to humans and yet also appalled by their weakness.
Accompanying a human survey science team on a mission to a dangerous planet, Murderbot has to hide its new capability from humans for fear of being found out.
At the same time, it is tasked with completing dangerous assignments for its human masters when all it really wants is to be left alone to watch futuristic soap operas and figure out its place in the universe.
Murderbot follows a human survey science team on a mission to a dangerous planet (Photo: Aplple TV+)
Who is in the cast of Murderbot?
Alexander Skarsgård
Alexander Skarsgård stars as Murderbot (Photo: Steve Wilkie/AppleTV+)
Alexander Skarsgård stars as Murderbot, the security cyborg who has self-hacked and gained free thought and will.
The Swedish actor, 48, rose to prominence playing vampire Eric Northman in True Blood.
He has gone on to star in Big Little Lies, Succession, The Stand and The Kingdom.
On film, he has appeared in Zoolander, Melancholia, The Legend of Tarzan, The Kill Team and Lee.
Noma Dumezweni
Noma Dumezweni plays Mensah (Photo: Apple TV+)
Noma Dumezwen plays Dr Ayda Mensah, the planetary leader of Preservation Alliance, a group of worlds.
The South African-British actress, 55, has won two Laurence Olivier Awards for her performances on stage in A Raisin in the Sun and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
On television, she has starred in Black Earth Rising, The Undoing, Made for Love and The Watcher.
And on the silver screen she has appeared in Mary Poppins Returns, The Little Mermaid and Retribution.
David Dastmalchian
David Dastmalchian as Dr Gurathin (Photo: Apple TV+)
David Dastmalchian is Dr Gurathin, an augmented human and scientist.
The American actor, 49, has appeared in a number of films including The Dark Knight, Ant-Man, The Suicide Squad and Oppenheimer.
He also starred in the television series Macgyver, Twin Peaks and Reprisal.
Sabrina Wu
Sabrina Wu takes on the role of Pin-Lee (Photo: Apple TV+)
Sabrina Wu plays Pin-Lee, a member of the survey team and a solicitor in the Preservation Alliance.
American actor and comedian Wu, 27, has performed stand-up as a student at Harvard and subsequently on The Tonight Show and Verified Stand-Up.
They have also starred as Deadeye in the 2023 film Joy Ride.
The cast also includes:
- Akshay Khanna as Ratthi (Andor, Critical Incident)
- Tattiawna Jones as Arada (Lost in Space, Orphan Black: Echoes)
- Tamara Podemski as Bharadwaj (Sainte-Pierre, Outer Range)
- Jennifer Senduala as Bystander (My Sister’s Double Life)
- John Cho as Captain (The Afterparty, American Dad!)
- Alex Cruz as Alderman Friess (Mentamorphosis, Shadowhunters)
- Clark Gregg as Lieutenant (G20, Zero Day, Painkiller)
- Josh Cruddas as Venenek ( Shadow of God, Billy the Kid)
When is Murderbot on Apple TV+ and how many episodes are there?
Murderbot premieres on Apple TV+ on Friday 16 May, with the first two episodes.
The remaining eight of 10 will be released weekly on Fridays until 11 July.
Viewers will need a subscription to Apple TV+ to stream the show, this costs from £8.99 a month although there is a seven-day free trial.
