Prime Video’s upcoming Fourth Wing series is all set to follow in Game of Thrones’ footsteps, especially in terms of strategic casting. The fantasy adaptation is still in the earliest stages of production, so there is no premiere window currently in sight. However, we already have several things to get excited about, including actor Michael B. Jordan’s role as executive producer. Recently, Jordan discussed some expectations for Fourth Wing, and his words were extremely encouraging.
Like many recent fantasy hits, the Fourth Wing TV show is based on a series of books. Written by Rebecca Yarros, Fourth Wing is the first of the three existing (out of an expected five) novels in the Empyrean series. The story follows protagonist Violet Sorrengail, who begins the harsh and often deadly training to become a dragon rider.
This premise will naturally make Prime Video’s Fourth Wing another TV show within the adult “dragon-rider” subgenre of fantasy, joining projects like Game of Thrones and its spinoff, House of the Dragon. Still, this isn’t enough to guarantee success. It will take careful work to ensure Fourth Wing is the best it can be, and this is where Jordan’s comments about casting come in.
Prime Video’s Fourth Wing Will Balance Familiar Actors With New Faces
Jordan stated during a recent discussion about Fourth Wing that he didn’t want the upcoming series’ casting to be made up of “obvious choices.” Instead, the Prime Video fantasy will feature a balance of popular actors and brand-new faces in the industry. Avoiding a full cast of famous performers will allow Fourth Wing viewers to “fall in love with the characters that they have imagined in their head without any baggage.” See Jordan’s full comment below:
It allows people to, like, fall in love with the characters that they have imagined in their head without any baggage, with projecting their own feelings on certain casts. So just know, it’s nothing cheesy coming out. It ain’t no obvious choices. I think it’s going to be something that feels honest.
There are many benefits to bringing in unfamiliar actors for new TV shows, and Jordan’s reason is the most common. However, it’s smart that Fourth Wing won’t commit itself entirely to that approach. Some of the best fantasy franchises of all time have applied the “balance” that Jordan mentioned when it came to casting. Game of Thrones is a prime example of television, while Harry Potter stands out within the film industry.
When Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone came out in 2001, there were several headliner names to get viewer interest. Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, Robbie Coltrane, Richard Harris—each of these well-known names balanced out the fresh faces of the previously unknown Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, and all the rest. Years later, Game of Thrones took the same approach. The familiar faces of Sean Bean, Mark Addy, Lena Headey, and Peter Dinklage (among others) drew us in so that actors like Kit Harrington, Emilia Clark, Jason Momoa, Sophie Turner, and Maisie Williams could win our hearts. It’s a tried-and-true formula.
Other Fantasy TV Shows Have Struggled Without A More Balanced Cast
Just as there are examples of excellent fantasy franchises that utilized the sort of balanced cast that Fourth Wing is after, there are several that tipped the scales in one direction or the other and suffered for it. Prime Video itself has a history of this, since Rings of Power featured predominantly new or lesser-known faces. Sure, several actors in this series have extensive and impressive filmographies, but there was no balance.