Casting Dain Aetos for Amazon’s Fourth Wing TV show will be tricky but vital considering the character’s arc and narrative role. While casting Xaden Riorson for Fourth Wing’s show is important as he is the main love interest, casting Dain will be equally, if not more important to get right. Violet’s journey in the Riders Quadrant is initially made better due to her having Dain, her childhood best friend, there as her squad leader. However, Dain’s overprotectiveness of Violet slowly becomes more suffocating, causing a tension to rise that eventually boils over.
The actor who plays Dain will need to sell both aspects of him for the Fourth Wing TV show. Dain is meant to be a boy-next-door type, seemingly good-hearted and at times genuinely kind. Though he betrays Violet’s trust, the actor will need to showcase his change of heart if the show is to do Dain’s redemption arc in the Fourth Wing books justice. Finally, the actor would need to demonstrate how Dain achieved his status as a squad leader through his physical prowess and authority. Fortunately, there are a few potential options that can strike this balance.
10 Josh Hutcherson
Known For The Hunger Games Franchise (2012-2015)
Josh Hutcherson’s portrayal of Peeta Mellark in The Hunger Games franchise fits many of Dain’s qualities for the Fourth Wing show. Peeta in The Hunger Games movies is, much like Dain, a quintessential boy-next-door. Peeta is gentle, shy, and protective of those he loves, though it is a more considerate care than Dain’s. He is also good at being deceptive, much like Dain is throughout the book as he and Violet splinter apart, leading Dain to find information on the marked ones and betray Violet.
Hutcherson would also be a fit for Dain personality-wise, as Peeta shares his personable nature as well as his lacking leadership skills. Peeta is incredibly cunning, as seen when he uses his painting skills to survive in the first film. That being said, neither Peeta nor Dain are overly effective leaders. Peeta accepts this but Dain does not, leading to many fun moments of him getting one-uped by Xaden in Fourth Wing and Iron Flame. Taking on this role would allow Hutcherson to broaden his portrayal of this archetype through Dain’s complexity.
9 Dacre Montgomery
Known For Stranger Things (2016-Present)
Dacre Montgomery’s time on Stranger Things as Billy Hargrove demonstrated his ability to play a bad guy, but the Fourth Wing TV show could allow him to showcase a gentler side of him as Dain. Billy is one of many Stranger Things characters who are now dead, but before his demise he was a strong secondary antagonist for the second and third seasons. Billy’s aggressive nature made him dangerous on his own and he only became more volatile after he was taken over by the Mind Flayer.
His performance as Dain could expand on that as, unlike Billy, Dain became an antagonist out of misguided belief over malice.
However, Montgomery was able to showcase some of Billy’s humane attributes, especially towards the end of the season as he sacrificed himself. His performance as Dain could expand on that as, unlike Billy, Dain became an antagonist out of misguided belief over malice. Montgomery could play on his guilt much like he did with Billy during his lucid moments in season 3, demonstrating his range and Dain’s inner turmoil. He is also a staunch rule-follower which would be a shift from Billy’s rebellious personality, allowing Montgomery to explore a different type of character in Fourth Wing‘s show.
8 Jacob Elordi
Known For Euphoria (2019-Present) And Saltburn (2023)
Both Jacob Elordi’s Nate from Euphoria and Felix in Saltburn showcase his potential for being Dain in the Fourth Wing show as both characters showcase Dain’s deceptiveness and his limited grasp on kindness. Each character grew up in a wealthy but distant family, which much like Dain, whose father is General Sorrengail’s aide, afforded them specific privileges and few genuine connections. Nate’s violent tendencies stem from this and allow him to get away with it, much like Dain’s obsession with the Codex allows him to justify his betrayal of Violet.
Felix in the movie Saltburn is similar, though he uses kindness like Dain in Fourth Wing. Dain’s constant insistence that Violet escapes to the Scribe Quadrant is, much like Felix’s friendship with Oliver (Barry Keoghan), only portrayed as kindness. Instead of helping her survive, Dain wants her to run for his sake, echoing the many doubts others have about her survival and undercutting her agency. Elordi’s portrayal of these characters shows how he can balance these distasteful parts of Dain while still making him an appealing character to study.
7 Tom Blyth
Known For The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes (2023)
Tom Blyth’s Coriolanus Snow in The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes is ambitious and cruel, making Blyth a solid candidate for Dain for Fourth Wing’s show. Snow, much like Dain, desires to climb the ranks of his society by any means necessary. In Snow’s case, it is through cheating which contrasts Dain’s rule-abiding strategy, but the ambition stems from the same place. In both cases, that ambition ends up costing them someone they love, a struggle Blyth highlights perfectly in The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes’ ending.
Snow’s anger at Lucy Grey Baird (Rachel Zelger) and his acceptance of society’s expectations versus his own feelings perfectly mirrors Dain at the end of
Fourth Wing.
Dain has reported the marked ones to his father and, after seeing Violet choose Xaden over him, lets her go into danger. Despite him not knowing what awaited them, he still chooses Navarre and ambition over his best friend. This struggle is something Blyth, through Snow, would be able to showcase easily, making this moment even more of a gut punch.
6 Cody Christian
Known For Pretty Little Liars (2010-2017)
Cody Christian’s Mike Montgomery from Pretty Little Liars appears to be a boy-next-door but hides a darker layer much like Dain in Fourth Wing. Mike’s interests in school sports and physical attributes make him appear to be a classic boy-next-door type, but his violent episodes after his parent’s divorce speak to his deteriorating mental health as well as his ruthlessness. Chrisitan could bring that same rage to the show but showcase it in a wildly new way through Dain’s rigid control of himself and the reward he gets for that ruthlessness.
Dain is a squad leader and is later made wing leader as a reward for his betrayal of Violet and the marked ones. Dain also has one of the most powerful signets in Fourth Wing through his retrocognition, making him a dangerous rider to cross despite his strict obedience to the rules. Christian could easily add more of that rage to Dain while exploring a character who is rewarded for that behavior, showcasing more of how Dain’s circumstances shaped his choices and how there is a lot going on under that unassuming exterior.
5 K. J. Apa
Known For Riverdale (2017-2023)
The storyline for K.J. Apa’s Archie in Riverdale both matches Dain’s relationship with Violet and allows him to tackle the more physical demands of the Fourth Wing TV show. Archie and Veronica’s (Camila Mendes) relationship in Riverdale is similar to Dain and Violet’s, as Veronica is also a capable woman who loves a man whose overprotectiveness and devotion to something outside of her causes tension. Apa would be able to showcase Dain’s affection as well as that devotion to rule and law easily, expanding a bit on Archie’s boy-next-door attitude by matching it with the militarism of Navarre.
Archie’s boxing and time in the military would also aid Apa, as Basigath is a war college and Dain, in Fourth Wing and Iron Flame, is forced to engage in combat several times. Apa’s background would allow him to tackle moments like Dain’s rolling dismount demonstration as well as killing Varrish with ease. Through that, Apa could showcase Dain’s physical prowess and retain his gentler side while also giving Apa a new angle to tackle the archetype from, as Dain faces very different issues than Archie.
4 Freddie Thorp
Known For Fate: The Winx Saga (2021-2022)
Freddie Thorp’s time as Riven in Fate: The Winx Saga would, much like Montgomery, allow him to play a more approachable character while also retaining the toughness of his well-known role. Riven is not the most likable character in Fate: The Winx Saga. His cold demeanor toward everyone in season 1 resulted in audiences seeing him as nothing but a bully, especially as he allied with Beatrix (Sadie Soverall). That coldness could work for Dain in certain scenes, such as when he is in the midst of being a squad leader in the early parts of Fourth Wing.
However, Thorp’s Riven also has a softer side, which comes out in season 2 as he grows closer to Musa (Elisha Applebaum) and stands up for her right to use her powers as she sees fit. Thorp could walk the line of Dain’s characterization much like he did with Riven. He can capture both Dain’s strength as a squad leader and desire to get ahead in Fourth Wing while also showcasing his gentler side when he is with Violet believably, allowing Thorp to play a role where those two sides are not so separate.
3 Noah Centineo
Known For The To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before Trilogy (2018-2021) And The Recruit (2022-Present)
Centineo’s portrayal of Peter Kavinsky’s confidence in the To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before franchise and Owen Hendrick’s dry wit in The Recruit makes him a strong contender for Dain in the Fourth Wing TV show. Peter’s confidence and amiable nature make him quite popular but also a bit cocky, much like Dain. That being said, Centineo is also able to capture Dain’s desire to keep those he loves around him to his detriment in Peter, a flaw both characters must overcome throughout their stories.
By contrast, Owen Hendrick in The Recruit is aware of his flaws but attempts to do his job well despite them, allowing the series to have quite a few comedic moments. Centineo’s wit shines here through Owen’s many retorts, which he would need as Dain does have some funny lines and moments, especially in Iron Flame. With updates on The Recruit season 2 being few and far between, the Fourth Wing show could allow Centineo to blend those two strong traits together, adding even more to Dain’s arc in the series.
2 Leo Suter
Known For Vikings: Valhalla (2022-2024)
Much like Apa, Leo Suter’s combat ability would allow him to tackle Dain in the Fourth Wing show easily when paired with his character’s past and authority. Harald Siggurdsson, in the series, is determined to gain power and later becomes colder after several betrayals, something he can bring to Dain, who feels that he was betrayed by his best friend. He could also bring his strong ability to tackle combat to the character as Harald gets himself into many combat situations throughout Vikings: Valhalla.
Harald’s name change and becoming King of Norway furthered that coldness as he, through his manipulations at court, seized full control of the country. This matches Dain’s own penchant for secrecy and deception in both Fourth Wing and Iron Flame, making Suter a strong fit beyond his physical attributes. Suter could bring that level of intensity to the character while also breaking out of that ruthless mold through Dain’s gentleness, adding a new facet to both the actor’s career and character perception.
1 Joe Keery
Known For Stranger Things (2016-Present)
Joe Keery’s ability to create a likable character from less savory roots would be perfect for Dain in Fourth Wing’s show as Dain’s arc fluctuates in a similar way to Steve Harrington’s. Steve’s character in Stranger Things goes through quite a bit of growth. In season 1, he was the charming, popular boy who slowly revealed his worst side, bullying Jonathan Byers (Charlie Heaton) and later Nancy Wheeler (Natalia Dyer) when she sides with Jonathan. Keery was able to play that shift well and, by the end of the season, showed how Steve realized how wrong his actions were.
After season 1, Steve becomes a fan-favorite due to his evolution as a character, making him more likable as he learns more about himself and who he wants to be. Protecting the kids and helping to defeat the Upside Down molds him into a strong, protective person who also understands his flaws. That balance is essential for Dain, as audiences would need to both hate him for his actions and slowly learn to care for him again as the Fourth Wing TV show goes on and Dain’s redemption arc truly begins.
