Netflix Casts Jaden Michael to Play Young Colin Kaepernick in Limited Series

Netflix has found an actor to play Colin Kaepernick in a new limited series. According to TVLine, Jaden Michael, who can be seen in the Netflix film Vampires vs. the Bronx, has been tapped to play a young version of Kaepernick in the series Colin in Black & White. The series will be six episodes long and will focus on Kaepernick’s upbringing.

Colin in Black & White will “provide an introspective look at Kaepernick’s adolescent years as a Black teen growing up with a white adopted family. It will follow his journey to become a great quarterback while defining his identity and lending meaningful insight into the acts and experiences that led him to become the activist he is today,” the synopsis states. Kaepernick will be the narrator of the series and Ava DuVernay will be an executive producer.

“Too often we see race and Black stories portrayed through a white lens,” Kaepernick said in a release back in June. “We seek to give new perspective to the differing realities that Black people face. We explore the racial conflicts I faced as an adopted Black man in a white community, during my high school years. It’s an honor to bring these stories to life in collaboration with Ava for the world to see.”

Kaepernick is known for kneeling during the national anthem when he was with the San Francisco 49ers back in 2016. Once the season was over, Kaepernick opted out of his contract and has remained a free agent since. A few teams have shown interest in Kaepernick, but a contract hasn’t been offered. This past summer, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell encouraged teams to sign Kaepernick in wake of the Black Lives Matter movement.

“Well, listen, if he wants to resume his career in the NFL, then obviously it’s going to take a team to make that decision,” Goodell said back in June. “But I welcome that, support a club making that decision and encourage them to do that.”

Michael, 17, has put together a strong resume. Along with Vampires vs. the Bronx, Michael voiced the role of Baby Jaguar and Sammy the Sloth on the animated series Dora the Explorer. He has also appeared on Gotham, Blue Bloods and the Netflix series The Get Down where he played the role of Rafe.