Delivery driver Michael Lasaki (played by former Doctor Who star Tosin Cole) has just one mission in mind when he discovers he can time-travel in new Netflix series Supacell, which follows a group of ordinary South Londoners who inexplicably develop extraordinary powers.
Created by rapper-turned-filmmaker Andrew ‘Rapman’ Onwubolu, the six-part drama introduces Michael just as he’s living his best life. He’s finally got a house, fancy car, and he’s planning to marry the woman of his dreams, Dionne (played by The Responder’s Adelayo Adedayo).
But not long after popping the question, his perfect world is rocked when a sudden visit to the future reveals a terrible fate for Dionne. In order to save her, he must find four more super-powered individuals and convince them to join his mission.
The hunt is on for super-speedy drug dealer Rodney (Calvin Demba), telekinetic nurse Sabrina (Nadine Mills), super-strong dad Andre (Eric Kofi-Abrefa), and gang leader Tazer (Josh Tedeku). They have little in common except for one thing: they’re all Black South Londoners. And all the while, a powerful entity appears to be on their tail.
What To Watch chatted to Tosin, 31, in a Central London hotel to find out more about Supacell, which also stars Blue Lights’ Siân Brooke and Ray Donovan’s Eddie Marsan...
What makes Supacell stand out?
Tosin: “I thought it seemed original and refreshing, and setting the show in South London made it feel so grounded and real. I loved the fact that it follows these five very different characters from different walks of life, who are all on their own journeys and have their own personal problems. I thought, ‘I can recognise these people; I see these people.’ I was excited just by reading the scripts."
What can you tell us about Michael?
Tosin: “He’s a simple, everyday guy, who works as a delivery driver and is planning to marry his long-term girlfriend, Dionne. But his life begins to unravel on the night of his engagement, when he travels to the future and receives the news that Dionne is going to die. His life literally starts unravelling and he’s desperate to save her.”
How does he cope with his newfound powers?
Tosin: “He tries to get a grasp on them, because he needs to control and understand them if he stands a chance of saving Dionne. He doesn’t figure it out straightaway. He’s pretty much in the dark. But he must also entice the other four to be a part of his mission.”
How is his relationship with Dionne affected?
Tosin: “He’s scared and doesn’t want to tell her what’s going on because it’ll change everything. He tries to protect her, but it makes her worry even more. It creates a disconnect that they’ve never had before because he’s withholding information. They did have a loving, open and communicative relationship, but it deteriorates after he gets the news from the future.”
What was it like working with Rapman, whose 2019 crime thriller film Blue Story created enormous buzz?
Tosin: “His visuals are so brilliant, and he's so clear at what drives the story and how we need to hit certain beats to execute the finale of it all. I remember him comparing one particular scene to The Red Wedding in Game of Thrones, in terms of the shock value. And he’s right, because you never know what’s coming next!”
If you could have a superpower, what would it be?
Tosin: “I watched a [Prime Video] show called Invincible and a character in it called Atom Eve has the power to manipulate matter and just change anything into anything. So, like, you fancy a Coca-Cola, and there it is. Or you fancy some gold, and there it is. You might not value material things as much, but it would make you value things like relationships, people and moments so much more. Yeah, it’s deep!”
Supacell is a six-part series launching on Netflix from Thursday, June27, 2024.
