'Supacell' is Super Good TV

A former Doctor Who star, a decidedly not family-friendly superhero thriller, and a Spotify playlist-worthy rap soundtrack may seem like an unlikely combination. However, first-time showrunner Rapman proves he can pull off just about anything in his TV debut, Supacell. Landing on Netflix just in time for the July 4th holiday, the series follows five average South Londoners who suddenly develop superhuman powers. It feels tailor-made for fans of cynical superhero satire series like The Boys or Marvel's more pointed one-off Disney+ series like Hawkeye or The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

Even better, it’s also for people exhausted by Marvel’s cookie-cutter churn and the vagueness with which Marvel properties try to say anything about society. Supacell is part of a veritable renaissance of Black British TV, along with recent shows that made their way to the U.S., like Queenie, Boarders, and Dreaming Whilst Black.

Supacell’s fresh, out-of-the-box approach to the superhero narrative is more than likely due to its creator’s wide-ranging background in just about everything but TV. After several years as a successful rapper and record producer, Andrew Onwubolu (better known by his stage name, Rapman) took to the screen, writing and directing music videos, a YouTube series, and a feature film. Supacell is his first TV series, and Rapman was involved in almost every level of the production, serving as creator, showrunner, writer, and lead director.