The Fourth Wing show has its Violet and Xaden. Esther McGregor and Emilio Sakraya have been cast as the leads in Prime Video's Fourth Wing series, according to Variety and Deadline.
I know a lot of people are disappointed with this casting, but I think we should see what they can do first. We all imagine these characters a little differently in our heads, so no adaptation is going to make everyone happy.
Casting characters we've all built up in our heads is an impossible task. Plus, fan favorite Inde Navarrette is busy being Marvel's next Rogue, and let's be honest, no mortal man could ever match Xaden.
This page tracks everything we know about the show, from the cast to the release date. I update it every time new information drops, so bookmark it and check back.
Latest update, October 16, 2026: Esther McGregor and Emilio Sakraya are reportedly cast as Violet Sorrengail and Xaden Riorson. Prime Video hasn't made an official announcement yet.
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Fourth Wing TV Show Quick Facts
- Where to watch: Prime Video
- Status: Ordered to series in May 2026, now casting
- Violet Sorrengail: Esther McGregor (reported)
- Xaden Riorson: Emilio Sakraya (reported)
- Showrunner: Meredith Averill
- Directing the first episode: Lisa Joy
- Studio: Amazon MGM Studios
- Release date: Not announced yet
- Based on: Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros, book one of the Empyrean series
Fourth Wing Cast
Esther McGregor as Violet Sorrengail
Esther McGregor will play Violet, the quiet, bookish girl forced into the riders quadrant by her mother. You might know her from Prime Video's We Were Liars, where she played Mirren. She's also been in Babygirl and Bleeding Love, and yes, she's Ewan McGregor's daughter.
Emilio Sakraya as Xaden Riorson
Emilio Sakraya will play Xaden, the shadow-wielding wingleader with every reason to hate Violet. He's a German actor known for Warrior Nun, Tribes of Europa, and the movie Rheingold. He'll also show up in season three of Netflix's One Piece. He was an early fan favorite for Xaden on TikTok, though plenty of readers had someone else in mind.
Who Else Still Needs to Be Cast?
Violet and Xaden are the only roles reported so far. Here's who we're still waiting on:
- Dain Aetos, Violet's childhood best friend
- Rhiannon Matthias, Violet's first real friend at Basgiath
- Liam Mairi, Xaden's friend assigned to watch over Violet
- Mira Sorrengail, Violet's older sister
- General Lilith Sorrengail, Violet's mother
- Jack Barlowe, Violet's biggest threat in the quadrant
- The voices of Tairn and Andarna
I'll add each one here as soon as it's announced.
Who Is Making the Fourth Wing Show?
Meredith Averill is the showrunner. She's known for The Haunting of Hill House and Locke & Key. Lisa Joy, who co-created Westworld, is directing the first episode.
The executive producers include:
- Rebecca Yarros herself
- Michael B. Jordan and Elizabeth Raposo from Outlier Society
- Lisa Joy, Jonathan Nolan, and Athena Wickham from Kilter Films
- Liz Pelletier and Sherryl Clark from Premeditated Productions
Yarros is excited about the team. When the show got its series order, she said she was "thrilled to be working with this dedicated, experienced team."
When Does the Fourth Wing Show Come Out?
There's no release date yet. Filming hasn't been announced, and the show still needs most of its cast.
A big fantasy show like this usually takes a year or more to film and finish, with all those dragons to build. My honest guess is 2028 at the earliest. I'll update this as soon as there's a real date.
Fourth Wing TV Show Timeline
- October 2023: Amazon MGM Studios and Michael B. Jordan's Outlier Society win the rights to the whole Empyrean series.
- July 2024: Moira Walley-Beckett (Breaking Bad, Anne With an E) is announced as showrunner.
- 2025: Walley-Beckett leaves the project. In September, Meredith Averill is named the new showrunner.
- May 11, 2026: Prime Video officially orders the show to series, with Lisa Joy directing the first episode.
- October 15, 2026: Esther McGregor and Emilio Sakraya are reportedly cast as Violet and Xaden.
Read It Before You Watch It
If you're new to the Empyrean series, start with Fourth Wing. You've got plenty of time to read all three books before the show comes out.
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros Book Cover
📖 Buy on Amazon | Buy on Bookshop.org | 🎧 Listen on Libro.fm
More from my Empyrean shelf:
- Fourth Wing reading order, for every book in the series
- Fourth Wing explained, if you need a refresher on the world
- Every Fourth Wing dragon explained, from Tairn to Andarna
- Fourth Wing Book 4, for everything we know about what's next
- 15 books like Fourth Wing, for while you wait
Frequently Asked Questions
Who plays Violet in the Fourth Wing show?
Esther McGregor, from We Were Liars, has reportedly been cast as Violet Sorrengail.
Who plays Xaden in the Fourth Wing show?
Emilio Sakraya, from Warrior Nun and Tribes of Europa, has reportedly been cast as Xaden Riorson.
When does the Fourth Wing TV show come out?
There's no release date yet. The show was ordered to series in May 2026 and is still casting, so 2028 is the earliest realistic guess.
Where can I watch the Fourth Wing show?
The show will stream on Prime Video.
Is the Fourth Wing show officially happening?
Yes. Prime Video ordered it to series in May 2026. Meredith Averill is the showrunner, and Lisa Joy is directing the first episode.
Is Rebecca Yarros involved in the show?
Yes. Rebecca Yarros is an executive producer on the series.
Read it before you watch it. The Weekly Bookmark is my weekly heads-up on new releases, upcoming adaptations, and which books are worth your time.
