'Doctor Who's' Tosin Cole to Lead Netflix Superhero Drama 'Supacell'
Tosin Cole as Ryan - Doctor Who _ Season 12, Episode 1 - Photo Credit: Ben Blackall/BBC Studios/BBC America
Copyright: BBC Studios
We love seeing former Doctor Who companions continue to thrive after their time in the TARDIS. Former Twelfth Doctor companions Jenna Coleman and Pearl Mackie can be seen in popular shows as diverse as fantasy series The Sandman and crime drama The Long Call. Thirteenth Doctor pal Bradley Walsh is busy starring in the period family drama The Larkins. Tosin Cole, who played Walsh's onscreen nephew Ryan Sinclair, landed a starring role on AMC legal drama 61st Street and is now set to lead Netflix's upcoming superhero drama Supacell.
Created by rapper turned filmmaker Andrew Onwabolu, otherwise known as Rapman, the six-episode series was initially commissioned in 2021 and follows the story of a group of regular people who mysteriously gain superpowers. What sets this series apart from so many others like it, however, is that the only thing these ordinary people have in common is that they are all Black, which automatically makes their experience very different from those before. Rapman is the series' showrunner and lead director, and Sebastian Thiel (Dreaming Whilst Black) will direct three of the episodes.
Cole will play the lead character Michael Lasaki, described as a "van driver, an everyday working man, who's deep in love" with Dionne, played by Adelayo Adedayo (The Responder). Speaking to Deadline, Rapman calls his effort a "grounded superhero show" featuring characters who are "ordinary people who wear their everyday clothes and grow over time."
"Put it this way," he said. "We've got all the powers you can get in Marvel, and they come to South London."
The synopsis describes the series as follows.
A group of ordinary people from South London unexpectedly develop super powers with no clear connection between them other than them all being Black. As they deal with the impact on their daily lives, one man has to bring them together to protect the one he loves — all while avoiding the powerful and nefarious agents that have noticed their special abilities.
The series ensemble cast also includes Nadine Mills (The Strangers) as Sabrina, Eric Kofi Abrefa (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom) as Andre, Calvin Demba (The Rig) as Rodney, Josh Tedeku (Moonhaven) as Tazer, Rayxia Ojo (Call The Midwife) as Sharleen, and Giacomo Mancini (Top Boy) as Spud.
Filming is already underway in South London, but Supacell does not yet have a target release date. Cole can next be seen playing civil rights Medgar Evers in director Chinonye Chukwu's upcoming feature film Till.
