Fourth Wing’s TV Series Just Got Some Seemingly Bad News, But There's A Silver Lining

(Image credit: Red Tower Books)

Well, the Fourth Wing TV series has hit a hurdle, as it has lost its showrunner, Moira Walley-Beckett. To put it in Empyrean terms, the wind might be blowing, we might be wavering on the parapet a little bit. However, I think we’ll make it across. That’s because they’re already looking for her replacement, and the person reportedly being considered for the gig is a solid choice.

Fourth Wing Lost Its Showrunner

Last summer, Moira Walley-Beckett signed on to the upcoming book-to-screen adaptation as the showrunner. However, according to THR, she’s officially out. A reason was not listed. This marks a major setback for Fourth Wing, as fans wait for more updates about it.

So far, details about the show have been few and far between. The books’ author, Rebecca Yarros, did compliment the pilot and Walley-Beckett, telling Variety that she handled “the book with such respect and such zeal.” We also know that the series is being made by Amazon MGM Studios and Michael B. Jordan’s Outlier Society. Outside of that, we don’t know much.

There has been plenty of Fourth Wing fancasting, and we’ve been talking about moments from Yarros’ books that we want to see on screen. However, there’s been no word on who will play Violet or Xaden or updates about when we’ll eventually get the series on our screens.

Therefore, losing the showrunner is a tough blow.

However, A New Person Is Reportedly Already Being Considered For The Gig

Have no fear, though. While one showrunner's time at Basgiath has reportedly come to an end, there’s already someone being considered to take her spot. According to THR, Jac Schaeffer has an overall deal with Amazon MGM Studios, and she’s reportedly being eyed for this job.

While I was looking forward to Walley-Beckett running this show, because of her past as a writer and producer on Breaking Bad, I’m equally excited for Schaeffer.

Kathryn Hahn's Agatha wielding her dark magic — (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

For those who don’t know, Schaeffer wrote Black Widow and is the mastermind behind some of Marvel’s best TV shows. She created, wrote, and executive produced WandaVision and Agatha All Along – both of which you can stream with a Disney+ subscription. She was also the showrunner and directed three episodes of Agatha.

So, that tells us two things: she knows how to work within a franchise, and she has a super unique and distinct voice and vision.

That makes me think she’s the perfect person to take on Fourth Wing. She’ll bring her unique and fun style to Yarros’ action-packed, romantic and fantastical story. She’ll also likely be able to handle this massive series with grace. The popularity of Fourth Wing, Iron Flame and Onyx Storm cannot be denied, and there is certainly a lot of anticipation and pressure surrounding it.

While I’m sure Moira Walley-Beckett would have handled it fine, I think Jac Schaeffer is an excellent choice. If she’s hired, I think we’ll really be in for something special. So, while it feels like we’ve taken two steps back, we may have just taken a giant step forward, too.

Riley Utley is the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. She has written for national publications as well as daily and alt-weekly newspapers in Spokane, Washington, Syracuse, New York and Charleston, South Carolina. She graduated with her master’s degree in arts journalism and communications from the Newhouse School at Syracuse University. Since joining the CB team she has covered numerous TV shows and movies -- including her personal favorite shows Ted Lasso and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. She also has followed and consistently written about everything from Taylor Swift to Fire Country, and she's enjoyed every second of it.

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