FIRST LOOK: Jaden Michael, 17, gets into character as a teenage Colin Kaepernick in Netflix series

Teenage actor Jaden Michael was seen for the first time as an adolescent Colin Kaepernick on set of highly-anticipated Netflix limited series Colin In Black & White.

The 17-year-old star was seen Wednesday wearing a football jersey – presumably from Kaepernick’s middle school – on the California set of the show co-created by the controversial 33-year-old NFL star and Ava DuVernay.

Kaepernick ultimately became known for kneeling during the national anthem to protest police brutality and racial inequality at the start of NFL games during his time with the San Francisco 49ers.   

It certainly appeared to be a safe work environment amid the COVID-19 pandemic as Jaden was seen wearing a white surgical face mask in between takes.

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Earlier in the day, the young actor was seen not in football garb as they filmed in a more rural location.

Also seen on set was actor Nick Offerman – who shaved off his signature mustache for the role – as he will be playing one of Kaepernick’s adoptive parents. 

Not seen on set was Mary-Louise Parker who is set to play the mother. A couple named Rick and Teresa Kaepernick adopted Colin as a child after losing two other sons to heart defects. 

The show – which will have Kaepernick appear as himself to narrate the series – will explore the football player’s adolescent years as a Black teen growing up with a white adopted family.

The former 49ers quarterback, who’s an executive producer on the film, grew up in Turlock, California, playing football, basketball and baseball when he was younger, as well as developing a sense of cultural identity. 

‘I never thought I would be casting a young me in a show about my life. I can’t wait for the world to see @ItsJadenMichael be an all-star on @netflix,’ he captioned a side-by-side throwback of himself in late October. 

Meanwhile the teen actor gushed ‘couldn’t be more ecstatic to tell the story of the Legend, the Leader, the All-Star, [Colin] Kaepernick.’ 

DuVernay described the project as one ‘a story about identity, imagination and intention’ on her own social media.  

Kaepernick became a focal point of national attention in 2016 when he started to take a knee during the national anthem to protest police brutality and racism.

He reached a settlement in a collusion lawsuit in 2019 after going unsigned by all NFL franchises in the three seasons since. 

In NFL agent Andre Odom told the AP that Kaepernick remains ‘a visionary’ and ‘a pioneer for our generation and we are truly grateful for him’ after the NFL made anti-racism gestures amid the social protests in the wake of George Floyd’s murder at the hands of a police officer.

‘Making such a huge sacrifice for change isn’t easy for anyone,’ Odom said.

He continued: ‘Now seeing the NFL acknowledge that they should’ve listened to him just shows that the time is now to really stand up, strategize, implement and execute initiatives for the African American community … it takes us all.’