Over the first few months of the year, the book Onyx Storm (the third novel in Rebecca Yarros’ Empyrean series) and The Traitors have been major players in the zeitgeist. Well, now the worlds are colliding because as the first season of Fourth Wing continues to come together, Dylan Efron – who won Season 3 of The Traitors – has said he’d be down to join the show (under one condition that proves he’s a fan of the books).
When asked if he’d be interested in joining the upcoming book-to-screen adaptation of Fourth Wing, Efron enthusiastically told Page Six, “Oh, hell yeah!” It honestly sounds like he’s ready to walk the proverbial parapet, however, he has a condition, telling the outlet:
Pretty much anyone but Dain. So any of the characters but him!
– Be warned, minor spoilers for Fourth Wing and Iron Flame are ahead. –
Oh, Dain Aetos, what a guy. He’s the best friend of the book’s lead, Violet. However, in the first book, he proves to be quite annoying when he keeps trying to get Violet to leave the Riders Quadrent. He also does something horrendous toward the end of the book that really caused readers to hate him.
So I can see why Efron wouldn’t want to play him.
Dain could also be so fun to portray, though, especially in later seasons with his little redemption arc. Plus, Dylan Efron kind of looks how I imagine Dain. So, I hate to burst his bubble, but this reality star might actually be a good fit for this role.
He’s got the “attractive and cute” looks Dain has in the book, plus the strong physique and brown hair. Also, while Dain has brown eyes in the Rebecca Yarros’ novel, we can quickly fix that with contacts, and Efron could easily look at Violet with “striking brown eyes.” Plus, for better or worse, he’s got the faithful personality…
However, I get where he’s coming from. Dain was the bane of a lot of our existences for a very long time. The hate for him was real (even if we’re feeling better about him after Onyx Storm’s release). So I can see why Efron wouldn’t want to play him.
That’s fine too, because he’d also probably be a better fit for a character like Sawyer or – and this is the most logical option in my head – Brennan. Think about it: Dylan Efron is 33 years old, so while he could pull off playing a 20-something, he’s actually right around the perfect age to play Violet’s older brother.
I’m getting ahead of myself, though. At the moment, it seems like the Fourth Wing show is moving forward at a productive pace. However, we know basically nothing about it, and no one has been cast. Meanwhile, while Dylan Efron burst onto the 2025 TV schedule in The Traitors (which you can watch with a Peacock subscription), he hasn’t acted like his brother Zac does.
However, that doesn’t mean he can’t or won’t; in fact, I’d love to see him give acting a try. And maybe, just maybe, Fourth Wing could be the place where he gets to do that. He clearly knows the world and would be down to do it…as long as he doesn’t have to play Dain Aetos.
