SHOT AND SET IN LONDON, WITH A PREDOMINANTLY BLACK CAST, SUPACELL IS A SUPER-POWERED SHOW WITH LOTS TO S AY. ON SET AND BEYOND, ITS CREATOR RAPMAN EXPLAINS WHY HIS AMBITION KNOWS NO BOUNDS

WORDS AMON WARMANN

Superpowered South Londoners Rodney (Calvin Demba), Sabrina (Nadine Mills), Michael (Tosin Cole), Andre (Eric Kofi-Abrefa) and Tazer (Josh Tedeku);

OUT OF NOWHERE, a portal opens. A figure, clad in black, steps out, wielding fire in his hands. His prey, someone possessed with super-speed, stands ready for the ensuing fight.

Empire is looking at what’s come to be a familiar sight —a superpowered action sequence. Except this time, there’s one key difference: this isn’t your usual iconic cityscape. It’s North London’s Finsbury Park. Just around the corner from the tenpin bowling alley.

For years, the likes of Marvel and DC have ruled the superhero roost on screen, giving us villains out to conquer the world and champions duty-bound to save it, the final battles often taking place in a US metropolis (or Metropolis itself ). But in Supacell —a series focusing on five Black South Londoners who unexpectedly develop powers, their eyes glowing gold as their abilities activate —there are no archetypal heroes or villains. There are no set-pieces in

New York City. There are just human beings, more concerned about making a good life for themselves than preventing World War III. As one character puts it: “This ain’t a fucking comic-book, mate. This is real life.”

“I’ve always been a massive fan of superheroes,” says the show’s creator, Rapman (real name Andrew Onwubolu). “I just wanted to do something a little more grounded. Something you could watch and think, ‘If I had powers, I would probably end up doing what he’s doing.’”

That character-driven approach could be the shot in the arm that the genre needs. Too many recent projects have been mediocre, and unenthusiastically received, making the notion of ‘superhero fatigue’ undeniable fact. But Supacell is reaching for something closer to home. “Our characters are normal people,” says Rapman. “That’s always important in any of my stories, that you can relate to their negatives or their positives. I need you to see them as as human beings.”

Moreover, Rapman’s story is rooted in a love of his hometown. “London has a lot of what everybody else has got, if not more,” he says, meeting Empire in Soho this March. “I’m proud of the city, and growing up in South London. I wanted to put it on the map properly.”