“The Get Down” and “Wonderstruck” actor Jaden Michael has been set to play the high school-era version of talented quarterback Colin Kaepernick for Ava DuVernay’s upcoming six-episode Netflix series about the man.
The series aims to provide a look at Kaepernick’s early life as a Black child growing up with a white adopted family and his journey to become a great quarterback while defining his identity. It will also explore what led him to become a civil rights advocate.
Kaepernick received worldwide attention in 2016 when he began kneeling during the national anthem before games in protest of police brutality and systemic racism in America. He remains a free agent to this day, with regular calls for teams to turn to him in their time of quarterback need.
Michael Starrbury (“When They See Us”) is writing the series and executive producing alongside DuVernay and Kaepernick, who is set to narrate and appear in the series as himself.
Source: Variety
