Esther McGregor will play Violet Sorrengail opposite Emilio Sakraya as Xaden Riorson in Amazon’s adaptation of Fourth Wing, Deadline reports. McGregor’s credits include Babygirl and We Were Liars, while Sakraya appeared in Warrior Nun.
The adaptation of Rebecca Yarros’s bestselling Fourth Wing is still in the early stages of production. Casting the central couple answers one of the questions readers have been waiting on.
Esther McGregor and Emilio Sakraya set to play Violet and Xaden
Readers see the Riders Quadrant at Basgiath War College through Violet’s eyes in the romantasy novel. When she encounters Xaden, she believes he wants her dead because of what her mother did to his father. Their eventual romance follows an enemies-to-lovers arc, and that relationship sits at the heart of the story.
Polygon’s assessment is that Amazon got the casting right: with hair, makeup, and flight leathers, it expects McGregor and Sakraya to look the part as petite Violet and her shadow-wielding love interest.
That praise comes with two reservations. The characters’ height gap exceeds a foot in the book, compared with 4.7 inches between the actors. Sakraya is also 30, whereas Xaden is in his early twenties. Polygon argues that the age difference could become a problem if the show gets renewed and there’s a long wait between seasons.
Many cast members still haven’t been revealed. Beyond Violet and Xaden, the first book’s prominent characters include Dain Aetos, Rhiannon Matthias, and Liam Mairi.
