Netflix’s thrilling new superhero series Supacell is a unique and interesting twist on the genre – but is it an original story or is it based on a comic book? Supacell is the brainchild of British hip-hop artist Rapman, who serves as the showrunner, creator, writer, and head director on the series. The story revolves around a group of seemingly regular South Londoners, each with a family history of sickle cell disease, who gain superpowers and work together to fight back against the secret organization that wants to control them.

The Supacell cast is led by Tosin Cole, Adelayo Adedayo, Yasmin Monet Prince, and Eddie Marsan, and Dreaming Whilst Black’s Sebastian Thiel co-directed the series with Rapman. Supacell is a fresh and fascinating take on the tropes and conventions of superhero stories, mixing social commentary on race into its comic book spectacle. Most superhero movies and TV shows are based on a long-running comic book series. Is Supacell a comic book adaptation or an original creation?

Supacell Is Not Based On A Comic Book

Supacell isn’t based on any particular comic book

Supacell is an original creation; it isn’t based on any particular comic book. Much like M. Night Shyamalan’s Unbreakable or James Gunn’s Super, it follows the traditions of superhero comics, but it’s not actually an adaptation of one. Rapman created the series from scratch and wrote all six episodes. This isn’t the norm for American TV shows, which usually utilize a writers’ room to pad out much longer seasons, but it is typical for a six-episode British TV production to follow the singular vision of one writer.

Supacell Is An Original Story From Rapman (But Is Inspired By Other Superhero Movies & Shows)

Rapman drew influence from the long history of superhero stories

While Supacell is an original creation and not a specific adaptation of any comic book series, it does owe a creative debt to the long history of superhero stories on film and TV. The way that Supacell grounds its superhero narrative in a familiar reality can be tied back to the semi-realistic superhero stories of shows like Heroes and Misfits. The concept of presenting superhero tropes as realistically as possible can also be traced back to Unbreakable’s groundbreaking deconstruction of the genre.

But the biggest influence on the series isn’t any particular movie or TV show from the superhero genre, but rather its South London setting. The most unique thing that Supacell brings to the superhero genre is planting its characters and conventions on the streets of South London. It takes place across Brixton, Camberwell, Lewisham, and Peckham; Supacell is as much of a love letter to South London as it is a love letter to the superhero genre.