'Supacell' Lands on Netflix at the End of June

Just because the superhero bubble has burst doesn't mean the genre is dead; it just means that if you're going to make a film or TV series that centers on power with superhuman powers, it needs to have something new to say. That's not to suggest such a thing is difficult; for all that Disney's Marvel Cinematic Universe has cranked out 60-odd titles in less than 15 years, it's managed to say very little about the world outside the lived experiences of white middle-class cishet American men. That leaves a vast range of other experiences to explore, and in at least a few places, Netflix is picking up the slack. The latest is with Supacell, the British superhero series starring former Doctor Who companion Tosin Cole.

Cole is the main star the series is hanging itself on, but it's really more of an ensemble piece, focusing on five Black South Londoners who suddenly develop superpowers as they finish puberty. Their sudden special abilities draw the attention of a mysterious institution, who seem intent on tracking them down and taking them out. Cole plays Michael, whose working-class life is turned upside down when he discovers he can time travel (sans TARDIS or Doctor!), but when Michael takes a quick trip to the near future, it turns out the girl he plans to marry won't live more than a few weeks.

Desperate to change the future (or the past?), he and his newly powered pals decide to come together to save her — only to realize that their decision is actually one that might save them all.