Book to Screen
Our ‘Fourth Wing’ Dream Cast: Who Should Play Violet, Xaden & More in TV Adaptation
The moment Fourth Wing became a TikTok sensation, everyone started thinking about who could play these immediate fan-favorite characters in an adaptation. Amazon MGM Studios and Michael B. Jordan‘s Outlier Society are going to make dreams come true by adapting Rebecca Yarros’ Empyrean series into a TV show.
Moira Walley-Beckett (Breaking Bad) has been hired to executive produce the series, which means that scripts are in development. When scripts are ready, casting will begin in earnest, so we are not far off from hearing who will officially be heading to Basgiath War College to train with dragons and take on the infamous venin.
Patience is not really our virtue here at Swooon, so to bide the time until we get more Fourth Wing news (and the next book doesn’t come out until January), we’ve decided to put together our dream cast for the series. Check out who we think should play Violet Sorrengail, Xaden Riorson, and the rest of the Basgiath crew below, and let us know your casting thoughts in the comments.
Sarah Catherine Hook as Violet Sorrengail
We know that First Kill was…killed off by Netflix before Sarah Catherine Hook could really showcase her skills, but what we saw in that show was potential for this young actress. She’s got Violet’s tiny stature, and we think she could handle the bookworm naivete that Violet brings into Basgiath, but also convincingly pull off her “Violence” alter ego. You need someone that is going to be intimidated by all the death and killers around her, but isn’t afraid to dish it out when the time comes.
Josh Heuston as Xaden Riorson
Anyone who saw Josh Heuston in Heartbreak High doesn’t need this explained to them. In the Aussie high school drama, he plays Dusty, the resident hot boy who seems like he has a heart of gold but is also still a jerk. It’s about the layers, and that is an essential part of playing the dragon shadow daddy himself, Xaden Riorson. Heuston can do dark and brooding. He can also do the charming romance, and we bet with the right physical trainer he could also pull off deadly. He is also extremely fun to look at.
Auli'i Cravalho as Mira Sorrengail
Mira doesn’t have a lot to do in the first season, but that will change as the war around Basgiath War College gets more intense. Auli’i Cravalho is most famous for her voice work as the voice of Moana for Disney, but if you also checked out The Power on Prime Video, you know this girl has some action skills. She’d be a great older sister/mentor for Violet and will be able to handle her own when it comes time to ride her dragon into battle.
Rachel Weisz as General Lilith Sorrengail
Rachel Weisz hasn’t done a fantasy role since The Mummy franchise, and we think it’s time for that to change. The role of Lilith Sorrengail requires someone who can be cold and stern but has her defenses up because of all the loss she’s suffered. She’s a mom, but first of all, a general. Weisz knows how to command a room. She could make Lilith someone you’re afraid of — and someone you don’t know what side she’s on.
Asher Angel as Dain Aetos
Dain Aetos is one of the hardest characters in this story to cast. He’s one of the most reviled characters, but he’s not evil. Even though we’re going to want to hate him, he requires an actor who can make you believe that his overprotectiveness is coming from a good place. We think Asher Angel, most famous for the Shazam! movies, can pull off that dichotomy. He’s fun and charming when he needs to be, but he can also go dark. You need someone that you can hate but is also going to be capable of earning your forgiveness in the long run.
Sophie Wilde as Rhiannon Matthias
Violet needs a ride or die. Rhiannon is quick-witted, intelligent, and loyal. Sophie Wilde embodied that in Netflix’s Everything Now. She can be a stern badness that tops her class at Basgiath – and calls Violet out on her crap – but she also knows how to crack a joke with the rest of the crew. Rhiannon has to have class president energy without ruining the vibes during those few lighthearted moments at the college.
Gavin Casalegno as Liam Mairi
Listen, Team Conrad (The Summer I Turned Pretty) people, you have to put your bias aside. This is a completely different show we are talking about here, and you know that Gavin Casalegno, with those piercing eyes, can be a very convincing Liam. He can fit in with Xaden’s bad-boy crew, but you know he’ll charm and endear himself to Violet by the end of the first season. Even more importantly, he cries convincingly and can absolutely tear hearts out with Liam’s fate in the first book.
Matthew Sato
Ridoc starts off as just a jokester but eventually grows to be a fan-favorite character. Matthew Sato has been guest-starring on your favorite comedy shows like High School Musical: The Musical: The Series and grown-ish, but hasn’t gotten the breakout role that his comedic timing deserves. He’d make an excellent class clown as Basgiath. Think of him as the Stiles (Teen Wolf) of the Fourth Wing universe, and Sato can bring that sarcastic energy with the best line delivery.
Jordan Elsass as Jack Barlowe
We’re paging a bad boy over here. Jordan Elsass proved he knows how to do menacing well during the first season of Superman & Lois, and he could make Jack Barlowe someone truly terrifying. We want to feel shivers down our spine whenever we catch him staring at Violet, knowing he’s plotting something evil. He’s also got to charm his teachers so they don’t know how truly disturbed he is, Elsass can pull off that lethally charming combo.
Hunter Schafer as Imogen Cardulo
It seems impossible to imagine any fan casting these days that doesn’t have a Euphoria cast member. Jules is pretty sweet on the HBO drama, but Hunter Schafer has shown that she can have an edge. She’d need to lean heavily into that to play Xaden’s top girl lieutenant, but it’s a stretch we’d love to see her make. Hunter is stunning and could definitely pull off intimidating Violet, and Hunter can handle bringing out Imogen’s softness (well, okay maybe not softness) later on.
Matthew Daddario as Brennan Sorrengail
So many people have made Matthew Daddario their fan cast for Xaden, but he’s too old to be one of the teens. However, he would make a great Brennan, who largely is around only in flashbacks during Fourth Wing. Brennan needs to be someone with gravitas for those flashbacks and for later on. Daddario can bring that dry humor of his and also be imposing. We could totally buy him as a member of the board in Xaden’s court.
