Amazon Prime Video appears to be taking a swing with the lead roles in its upcoming "Fourth Wing" TV adaptation.
Emilio Sakraya will play Xaden Riorson and Esther McGregor will play Violet Sorrengail in Rebecca Yarros’ popular romantasy series, according to Deadline and Variety.The book takes place at the mythical, vicious Basgiath War College, where students risk death to graduate. The story follows Violet Sorrengail, the daughter of a military general, who enters the school believing she is meant to be a scribe but is forced by her mother to become a dragon rider. Xaden is a bad-boy duke and third year student and dragon rider.
The reported casting updates have prompted big and mixed reactions from fans of the book franchise, with one X user
writing, "This is so wrong it’s crazy - they look nothing like the characters."
Others celebrated the reports, including TikTok creator Sage Thomas, who bowed down in a video about the castings. She applauded Sakraya's performance in "We Were Liars" and said she was ecstatic at the thought of "this gorgeous human being of a man" McGregor saying the famous line "My house. My chair. My woman."
@sagethomass THOUGHTS AND FEELING #fourthwing
♬ original sound - sage thomas
TikTok creator Kalia Books posted a video urging fans not to spiral and to trust the vision, saying Amazon Prime Video rarely fails with its casting. Harper Kaminski also celebrated Sakraya's casting, adding that she has vouched for him for two years.
"Guys, we finally have Xaden!" she said in the video. "People are going to be livid; I do not care."
"He looks like he stepped out of a fan edit," one X user wrote.
Another X post reads: "casting xaden was always the make or break moment for this fandom and the pressure on this man is genuinely astronomical, seated regardless."
Who are Emilio Sakraya and Esther McGregor?
Sakraya is a 30-year-old German actor and singer known for TV and film roles in projects like "Rhinegold," "Tribes of Europa," "Warrior Nun and "Those About to Die." He's slated to join the upcoming third season of Netflix's live-action "One Piece" series.
McGregor, the 24-year-old daughter of boxer Ewan McGregor and production designer Eve Mavrakis, is largely known for playing Mirren Sinclair Sheffield in Amazon’s thriller series "We Were Liars." Other credits include Disney+’s "Obi-Wan Kenobi" and Freevee’s "High School," as well as Amazon's upcoming series "Life Is Strange."
What is 'Fourth Wing'?
"Fourth Wing" is a the first book in the adult romantasy series by Rebecca Yarros.
The USA TODAY bestseller franchise began with the original "Fourth Wing" book in May 2023, followed by "Iron Flame” in November 2023 and "Onyx Storm" in January 2025. The series has sold more than 12 million copies.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Fourth Wing' fans are not okay after Emilio Sakraya, Esther McGregor casting
