As a die-hard Fourth Wing fan, two things about the cast reveal have me worried
Opinion: Like millions of die-hard Fourth Wing readers, I’ve been counting down to the cast reveal ever since Amazon announced plans to bring Rebecca Yarros’ fantasy sensation to the small screen in 2023.
Well, that day has finally come. Emilio Sakraya and Esther McGregor are our Xaden Riorson and Violet Sorrengail.
Emilio Sakraya and Esther McGregor are our Xaden Riorson and Violet Sorrengail. Getty
Fans are pleased with Sakraya’s casting, and I agree that he fits the brief perfectly. Tall, dark and handsome. Tick, tick and tick.
He’s also relatively new on the scene, with only a few small roles in previous projects like Netflix’s Warrior Nun and Tribes of Europa. Another tick – we wanted fresh-faced talent for these roles.
However, opinions are split on the casting of McGregor, who is the daughter of Ewan McGregor, best known for his iconic role as Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars prequel trilogy.
I will admit, it stings a little knowing the highly anticipated role of Sorrengail is going to a... nepo baby. THERE, I SAID IT.
Fans were super excited about this cast reveal because we know how big the series will be; these roles will shoot the stars who play them to overnight success.
We were so ready and willing for no-name actors to take on these roles. Who doesn’t love an over-night success story?
I do want to note that we weren’t in that audition room, so we don’t know how she’ll go in the role until we see her on screen… so I am willing and ready to be proven wrong.
As a die hard fan of the books, I have some thoughts. Hachette
In fact I hope to GOD I am proven wrong, because after waiting for years for this series, I can’t stomach the idea of a bad cast due to nepotism.
Aside from that, I have one other small bone to pick over the casting of both Sakraya and McGregor.
In the books, it’s evident that Riorson towers over Sorrengail, but this casting means there’s only a 19 centimetre difference between the two.
Sorrengail is believed to be between 152cm and 160 cm (5′0 to 5′3″). Fans are in agreeance that she’s on the shorter side of that scale thanks to context clues in the book, including a scene where Riorson calls her “five foot nothing.”
Meanwhile, Riorson is supposed to be between 193cm to 195cm, or 6′4″ to 6′5″ establishing an estimated 43 cm (17-inch) height gap between the leads.
However, according to IMDb, Sakraya stands at 182cm (5′11¾“) and McGregor measures 163cm (5′4”). That slashes their on-screen contrast down to just 19cm (7.5 inches) – less than half of the stark visual divide that readers fell in love with on the page.
In my opinion, she’s simply too tall and he’s not tall enough. I know that sounds silly, but one of the reasons I loved the book was because of the short-girl representation!
Emilio Sakraya is relatively unknown... until, of course, the show is released. Getty
Esther McGregor is about to take on the role of a lifetime. Getty
Despite her tiny frame, Sorrengail fights in major battles and becomes one of the strongest, most feared riders at Basgiath War College.
Plus, the massive height difference between them makes the steamy scenes even steamier.
I do realise that with a bit of TV-magic they can make them look taller or shorter with the use of perspective and some clever shots, but it’s still a gripe.
Plus, it is true that no casting choice will ever please everyone when it comes to screen adaptations of fan-favourites.
Esther McGregor is the daughter of Star Wars actor Ewan McGregor. Getty
While some fans are disappointed with the casting, everyone is still dying to see the book come to life on-screen.
Let’s be real, they could have cast a garden gnome to play both characters and I still would be SAT and ready to binge watch it.
Despite my nit-picking, I am still sending my love and support towards the cast as they gear up for the biggest roles of their lives.
