Apple TV’s Next Best Sci-Fi May Have Already Nailed the Novel’s Best Character

The success of Apple TV‘s Neuromancer will depend on how well it tells its story of struggle against coercion and hopelessness, but in the meantime, we can judge its chances by visual cues. The trailer for the series focuses heavily on Molly Millions — played by Briana Middleton — and that’s no mistake. The “razorgirl” may have the most striking character design in the story, with inlaid lenses in place of eyes and retractable claws in her fingertips. The trailer hints at more than a faithful adaptation of Molly’s appearance — it suggests that the team behind this series understand Molly and how important it is to get her arc right for this story to succeed.

Neuromancer has a lot to live up to in this adaptation. William Gibson‘s 1984 novel is often credited with codifying “cyberpunk” as we know it, and that subgenre of science fiction has only grown more popular over the decades. Now, Neuromancer will live on-screen alongside other works it has influenced, and it needs to stand out and earn its place in the canon. To do that, Molly is the key, and getting her right could make or break the entire show. The trailer shows all the attention to detail that went into crafting Molly’s look, and from that we can infer that her story and characterization will follow as well.

Molly Millions is the Quintessential Cyberpunk Heroine

Image via Apple TV

Neuromancer begins with Molly enlisting Case (Callum Turner) to join her and Armitage (Mark Strong) for a high-stakes heist. Case may be the point-of-view protagonist of the story, but Molly is arguably even more central to it. She’s certainly more iconic and memorable — the novel describes Molly as a tall, attractive woman with the lean athleticism of a dancer. She is called a “razorgirl” because of her physical augmentations. She has mirrored lenses surgically inlaid over her eyes to protect them and enhance her vision and retractable scalpel blades hidden within all 10 of her fake fingernails.

Razorgirls typically work as mercenaries or “street soldiers” in this setting, and Molly is no exception. She is frequently referred to as a bodyguard in this story, including for Case. This intersection of visual design and worldbuilding is where Molly really shines, and where she elevates Neuromancer. Her appearance carefully balances femininity and function — she’s muscular with short hair, yet she wears long colorful fingernails and high-heeled boots. She compromises nothing about herself in order to be the strongest fighter in the room, and she’s not one of a kind. This world is full of razorgirls, and people know to fear them.

In many ways, Molly is a foil for Case. Both of them have essentially given up on conforming to society, but while Case is sinking into despondence when the story begins, Molly is like a beast finally freed from its cage. Her augmentations and fighting prowess are symbols of her independence and self-reliance in a cruel world, and they set the stage for her personality. Molly is a survivor who won’t be shut down by any singular setback. She has an internal drive that she passes on to Case, helping to pull him out of depression just by proximity.

Molly Makes ‘Neuromancer’ Special

Image via Apple TV

The fact that the TV trailer has gotten so much of Molly’s physicality right is already a strong hint that they have the underlying story right as well, and that’s a great sign for the show as a whole. The audience may ride along with Case, but that means our focus is often on Molly, so she needs to be complex and interesting enough to hold our attention. Across mediums, cyberpunk often catches our eyes with physical augmentations and flashy character design, but sometimes it doesn’t follow through with a compelling story and characterization. For Molly, the two go hand-in-hand.

The most important pitfall the Neuromancer adaptation needs to avoid here is turning Molly into either a “damsel in distress” or “Mary Sue” archetype. Her story and personality shine all the brighter because she has such an over-the-top appearance, and she needs to be a well-rounded character for this story to land. The trailer shows us her claws, her stunt-driving skills, and one dramatic outfit change, but that will make it all the more dramatic when the story reveals there is a real person behind those lenses. That’s the heart of Neuromancer, and it’s what the novel has passed on to the entire cyberpunk genre over the last four decades.

So far, Apple TV and the team behind Neuromancer have inspired nothing but anticipation for the series. We’ll be able to see Molly in action soon enough — Neuromancer premieres on January 22, 2027. Gibson’s original novel is available now in print, digital, and audiobook formats, along with its sequels.

Network

Apple TV+

Showrunner

Graham Roland

Directors

J.D. Dillard