One of the many MCU films that are currently in the works is Blade with Oscar winner Mahershala Ali set to play the titular character and will formally introduce him after making his debut in the post-credits scene of Eternals albeit in an off-screen appearance. The project has been in the works for a while and now it looks like we finally have the date on when they are heading into production.
According to Production List, Blade is set to begin production on July 4 with filming taking place in Atlanta, Georgia and New Orleans, Louisiana. However, The Direct noted in their report that given that it's a federal holiday, it is likely that the filming date will actually begin as early as July 5 instead.
We do have to take note that the date has not been confirmed by Marvel Studios so we have to somewhat take it with a grain of salt. However, it is an industry site so it is reliable and likely to be true and it is also frequently used as a source for production dates of different movie and TV projects in Hollywood.
It's not surprising to hear that the film might begin production next month since it has been in the works for a while now and there were reports in the past several months that they target to start filming within this year with the possibility of releasing it by fall 2023 where there is no MCU film scheduled for release as of this moment.
Bassam Tariq is set to direct the film. Stacey Osei-Kuffour wrote the screenplay. Besides Ali, other confirmed cast members so far are Delroy Lindo and Aaron Pierre. If the film is indeed going to start filming in a few weeks, we might be hearing more casting news or more confirmed details about the film very soon as they are prepping for production.
Also Read: Blade Will Reportedly Appear in Marvel's Werewolf by Night Halloween Special
Disney and Marvel have not set a release date for Blade.