9 Actors Perfect For The Role

Warning: This list contains spoilers for Rebecca Yarros’ Fourth Wing.

Summary

• Xaden Riorson’s casting for
  Fourth Wing
  is crucial due to him being a key ally in a secret revolution.
• Actors like Dev Patel, Regé-Jean Page, and Michael B. Jordan could bring depth to Xaden’s character.
• Avan Jogia and Evan Evagora are also strong contenders for the role of Xaden.

Casting Xaden Riorson well will be vital to Amazon’s Fourth Wing TV show. Fourth Wing, based on Rebecca Yarros’ book of the same name and its sequel Iron Flame (with more books to come), follows scribe-turned-dragon rider Violet Sorrengail. After her mother forces her into the brutal training of the Riders Quadrant, Xaden becomes a key ally to Violet in her fight for survival. As Xaden and Violet grow closer and become romantic partners, Violet discovers that Xaden is the leader of a secret revolution that is preparing to battle a supernatural force that their country has hidden for generations.

Casting Violet Sorrengail for the Fourth Wing TV show is important, but finding the perfect person to portray her partner in crime is just as significant a task. Besides having the brooding allure typical of young adult and new adult love interests, Xaden Riorson carries a heavy responsibility of protecting the ostracized children of the people who followed his father in a failed previous rebellion. He cuts a mysterious figure as someone who is always keeping secrets. The actor playing Riorson will need to show this with little dialogue, and some surprising possibilities represent untapped potential to do so.

9 Danny Ramirez

Known for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021) and Top Gun: Maverick (2022).

As soon as he made his MCU debut in Joaquín Torres in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Danny Ramirez became a fan favorite. Joaquín’s characterization, from his brief scenes in the MCU miniseries, is as a friendly and optimistic sidekick. However, the character will likely be further developed after taking up the Falcon mantle in Captain America: Brave New World. Ramirez’s performance in this upcoming movie will hopefully show his ability to play a character who is a leader with power that is not unconditional.

Xaden is the leader of a specific group of young adults but is looked down upon by most of the people in Navarre. However, he also has one of the most powerful signets in the Fourth Wing books. Ramirez’s other past projects show his versatility and potential for this role. Notably, he has been cast as Manny for The Last of Us season 2. Ramirez is on the rise as an action star and would be a great addition to Fourth Wing.

8 Dev Patel

Known for Slumdog Millionaire (2008) and The Green Knight (2021).

After achieving his breakthrough with Slumdog Millionaire, making appearances in several indie films, and winning an Oscar nomination, Dev Patel is making an interesting return to action movies. His film The Green Knight, based on a medieval text, is a confusing but incredibly captivating surrealistic fantasy adventure, amplified by the actors’ talents. Patel’s later movie Monkey Man is like John Wick in many ways, but he has turned out to be just as good as Keanu Reeves at portraying an understated intensity during stylish fight scenes.

Patel could bring this single-minded determination and choreography experience to the role of Xaden. Looking far back enough, Patel is also one of the few redeeming parts of the notorious live-action The Last Airbender movie. Like Xaden, Zuko deals with complicated notions of honor and loyalty. With Patel showing interest in new genres, he might be ready to add an epic fantasy series to his repertoire.

7 Charles Melton

Known for Riverdale (2017-2023) and May December (2023).

Charles Melton has already been the star of a hit teen-to-young-adult franchise as Reggie Mantle, who is sadly missing from Riverdale season 7. While Reggie is an antagonist to the main characters at several points in the series, he still demonstrates himself to be charming, romantic, and sympathetic, all necessary components in bringing Xaden to life on screen. However, Melton’s more recent role in the acclaimed drama May December has even more interesting implications for his potential to play Xaden.

In May December, Melton plays an apparently content husband and father, but trauma from his youth becomes the cornerstone of the movie’s plot. While Xaden has a completely different backstory, Melton’s ability to play a psychologically complex character is valuable. Xaden’s father and his followers were executed after they attempted to rebel against Navarre’s government, leaving Xaden the de facto leader of the rebels’ children at a young age.

6 Taylor Zakhar Perez

Known for The Kissing Booth 2 (2020) and Red, White & Royal Blue (2023).

Taylor Zakhar Perez is known as a rom-com star, but his all-around talent would make him suited to a dramatic action fantasy series. Since Red, White & Royal Blue, Perez has been in no new movies or TV shows and has no confirmed upcoming projects, and everyone is curious about what he will do next. He has some impactful moments in Red, White & Royal Blue of playing a strong future political leader, something that plays into Xaden’s character as well.

However, the romantic part of Perez’s history of rom-coms would also be one of his biggest strengths as Xaden. Perez has delivered in some scenes with palpable romantic and sexual tension, with on-screen partners who are also worthy of praise. If Perez were matched with someone playing Violet with whom he has as much chemistry as Joey King or Nicholas Galitzine, the love story that will be one of the biggest challenges faced by the Fourth Wing TV show would be a hit.

5 Regé-Jean Page

Known for Bridgerton (2020-Present) and Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023).

Somewhat ironically, Regé-Jean Page demonstrates his ability to portray several of Xaden’s most important characteristics in Bridgerton. Simon is romantic but an action hero-adjacent character, what with the fights and duels he gets into with his future wife’s brothers. However, Page’s tense-dynamic-turned-romance with Phoebe Dynevor contributed to Bridgerton’s massive popularity. Page is another actor who, if he were paired with the right on-screen partner, would take everyone’s breath away with the romantic aspects of Fourth Wing’s plot.

On the other hand, Page gained some more typical action-hero experience starring alongside seasoned action stars such as Chris Pine and Michelle Rodriguez. Page’s paladin character is played off as a joke, mainly because his serious persona is written to contrast with the wacky antics of the rest of the Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves cast. However, Page never breaks character — with some adjustment to his approach because of the different tone, Page could play another serious military leader in Fourth Wing.

4 Michael B. Jordan

Known for Creed (2015) and Black Panther (2018).

Michael B. Jordan is an established, acclaimed action star known for his powerful and intense roles who would elevate Fourth Wing with his name alone. Jordan’s performances as Erik “Killmonger” Stevens and Adonis Creed both demonstrate shades of Xaden’s persona that could be useful experiences if Jordan were cast as him. Killmonger is an unwavering and effective soldier and militaristic leader, while Adonis Creed is a determined and good-natured athlete. Both characters are impulsive, something that Xaden does not share, as he must be strategic and cautious in every interaction.

From a combination of these character traits, Jordan could build Xaden’s character. Xaden is a skilled leader whose strengths lie in political and military knowledge (at least this world’s version of a dragon-augmented military). However, he is a good person at heart who only wants to protect others and ensure the country of Navarre’s future. Additionally, Jordan has the presence to make Xaden a dominating figure. His experience playing a sympathetic villain/anti-hero could also be useful to the parts of the story when Violet considers Xaden an enemy.

3 Mena Massoud

Known for Aladdin (2019) and The Royal Treatment (2022).

Mena Massoud is best known for playing the title character of the live-action Aladdin remake, in which he gives a commendable performance. Aladdin and The Royal Treatment demonstrate Massoud’s major Disney prince energy, which is why it would be great to see him in a darker intense role. Additionally, Massoud has not had any mainstream roles since Aladdin and deserves another chance to shine in a popular property — because while Aladdin received average reviews, the entire cast was excellent.

Massoud’s involvement in the rumored Aladdin 2 is unconfirmed at this point, but he has some other upcoming projects that will hopefully win him some more attention. He is the star of the crime thriller In Broad Daylight and will appear in Julia Stiles’ romance Wish You Were Here alongside Kelsey Grammer and Jennifer Grey. With action, drama, and romance on the horizon — and the status as a star of a billion-dollar movie — Massoud should not be ignored when it comes to casting Xaden.

2 Avan Jogia

Known for Zombieland: Double Tap (2019) and Resident Evil: Raccoon City (2021).

Jogia’s under-the-radar roles in projects of other genres speak of his general talent and suggest that he would be able to live up to the complexities of Xaden’s backstory and character arc.

A lesser-known star with some underrated adventure movies, Avan Jogia could become a breakout star overnight by playing Xaden. While initially an awkward rookie police officer in over his head, Jogia’s version of the iconic game hero Leon Kennedy becomes a more typical action hero as the conflict of Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City escalates. There is a strong argument that Jogia’s Leon should have been the focus of Raccoon City.

However, Jogia’s under-the-radar roles in projects of other genres speak of his general talent and suggest that he would be able to live up to the complexities of Xaden’s backstory and character arc. For example, he starred as Puck in a modern take on Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and as King Tutankhamun in the fictionalized historical miniseries Tut. Overall, Jogia has the experience to be a surprise fan-favorite actor as Xaden.

1 Evan Evagora

Known for Fantasy Island (2020) and Star Trek: Picard (2020-2023).

Evan Evagora is also a lesser-known actor, whose main claim to fame is his role as the Romulan Elnor in Star Trek: Picard. Elnor is raised and trained by the Qowat Milat, who teach him to practice “absolute candor.” As a result, Elnor has no sense of how to lie. Ironically, a huge part of Xaden’s arc is keeping secrets from Violet in order to protect other people. However, this is no reason for Evagora to not play Xaden, as he portrays an intelligent and skilled soldier in Star Trek: Picard.

From his time playing Elnor, Evagora has experience portraying a calculated and reserved persona, as well as at least some practice with some of the weapons Xaden might use. Elnor also has an interesting relationship with Picard, a father figure to him, which Evagora might draw upon to show Xaden’s emotions about following in his father’s footsteps. Yet Evagora is still just one possibility to play Xaden Riorson in Fourth Wing.