'Divergent': Theo James cast as Four

Finally! Divergent has found its male lead! Theo James has been cast as Tobias ‘Four’ Eaton in Neil Burger’s (Limitless) big screen adaptation of Veronica Roth’s bestselling novel.

There’s been an awful lot of speculation as to who would play the mysterious Dauntless instructor opposite Shailene Woodley, who plays fierce heroine Beatrice Prior, when production gets going later this spring.

You might recognize James from CBS’s Golden Boy or from season 1 of Downton Abbey (he played the handsome man who died in Lady Mary’s bed.) “As a fan of Divergent, I am thrilled to have been chosen for the role of Four and to be a part of such a phenomenal story,” James tells EW in an exclusive statement. “As an actor, I am excited to explore and play this incredibly complex and mysterious character. Director Neil Burger is a remarkably visionary filmmaker. Along with the incredibly talented Shailene Woodley, we are looking forward to the fantastic adventure of bringing this beloved book to life on the big screen for all the fans.”

“Theo is not only an incredibly talented actor, he is also who we envisioned as Four when reading Veronica’s novel which has taken the world by storm,” says Rob Friedman and Patrick Wachsberger, co-chairmen of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group in a joint statement. “As we continue to develop the film, the studio remains committed to providing fans with a movie adaptation that stays as true to the book as possible and we are confident that we have done so with our selection of Shailene and Theo in the leading roles.

Why such a long wait? Eric Feig, Lionsgate president of production says in a statement: “We took our time to find the right actor to fill the role of Four, and Theo is definitely the perfect fit. Veronica has crafted a truly iconic character in Four and we cannot wait to begin production and bring him and this story to life for millions of fans around the world.”

This nicely adds to a cast that includes Die Hard‘s Jai Courtney, Zoe Kravitz and Maggie Q. Kate Winslet reportedly is in talks as well.