Alexander Skarsgård's Apple TV+ Sci-Fi Series Revealed In First Look Images Of His Murderous Robot Character

The first look at Apple TV+'s sci-fi thriller comedy series Murderbot is here. Based on Martha Wells' best-selling book series, The Murderbot Diaries, the series stars Emmy Award winner Alexander Skarsgård as the titular cyborg, who hides his true emotions while on a dangerous assignment. The Apple TV+ show is scheduled to debut the first two episodes on May 16, with one new episode out every week that follows.

Apple TV+ now unveils first-look images for Murderbot. Adapted by Academy Award nominees Chris and Paul Weitz, the series, consisting of 10 episodes, is executive produced by Skarsgård and Andrew Miano. Joining Skarsgård in the Murderbot cast are Noma Dumezweni (Presumed Innocent), David Dastmalchian (Oppenheimer), Sabrina Wu (Joy Ride), Akshay Khanna (Critical Incident), Tattiawna Jones (The Handmaid's Tale), and Tamara Podemski (Outer Range). Check out the photos below:

What This Means For Murderbot

Murderbot Has A Human Side That It Tries To Hide

The new images reveal the human-like designs for Skarsgård's security droid in Apple TV+'s book-to-TV adaptation. His character wears a suit and mask to appear more emotionless while on the job. The unmasked image shows more emotions on Murderbot's face, teasing that something else might be going on underneath the surface. In the source material, Murderbot is a partly organic and mostly robotic security guard owned by The Company.

Imagery from The Man in High Castle and The Handmaid's tale (Alexa Davalos and June Osborne)

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Despite being designed to kill, it has a very human side. Murderbot disables the default programming that forces it to obey orders and gives itself free will. However, instead of becoming a mass murderer, it gets hooked on entertainment feeds and decides to hide its emotions by continuing to obey orders. The pair of images also offer a fresh preview ofthe world-building in Murderbot. Though taking place in a futuristic world, the compound and the suit look slightly worn, speaking to a well-thought-out universe.

Our Take On Murderbot

How It Approaches The Source Material Is Still A Mystery

The Murderbot Diaries, as its name suggests, mostly consist of Murderbot's inner thoughts. Instead of full-length books, the series is a collection ofmostly novellas, which are relatively short in form. It's unclear how much material season 1 will cover, but the way the series was written could pose some challenges in adapting the Murderbot books.

The source material's lighter tone and length might mean some scenes and storylines are added, or the series could rely on shorter episodes. After all, the books are very concise and easy to digest. On the other hand, The Murderbot Diaries have many must-see moments for the small screen. It'd be very interesting to see how Apple TV+'s Murderbot approaches the source material and how it will separate itself from the book series.