Aethelstan was born about 894 and died on 27th October 939 aged about forty five.
The Anglo Saxon Chronicle states that Aelfweard who was born about 902, died only sixteen days after his father Edward the Elder and was buried with him at Winchester.
Edward the Elder was born about 874 and died on 17th July 924 aged about fifty.
The author, Bernard Cornwell, stated in an interview with Sharon Kay Penman that his decision to make Aethelstan gay in his novels was based on the facts that: Aethelstan never married or had children; and that he liked to decorate his hair with golden ringlets. There is no compelling evidence in historical records to further support the inference.
Producer Nigel Marchant revealed that talks about a movie had been proceeding following the launch of The Last Kingdom's fourth season in April 2020. In October 2021, prior to the fifth season of The Last Kingdom being released on Netflix in early 2022, the feature-length sequel to the series was announced at the MCM London Comic Con by Dreymon, who acted as executive producer as well as starring as Uhtred on the show. It was given the working title Seven Kings Must Die and would follow events of the series which took place over a circa-45-year period of history from 866 onward focusing on the Kingdom of Wessex and ongoing Viking incursions into England.