Marvel and Netflix dropped their third well-received hit last year, and it may not be too long before Luke Cage season 2 begins production. Luke Cage saw Mike Colter bring his bullet proof hero into a leading role after his introduction in Jessica Jones, and the response was almost exactly what Marvel and Netflix could’ve hoped for. The early reviews pointed to it possibly being the best Netflix/Marvel series, but it was almost universally agreed that the first half of the season was much stronger than the second.

Even with a drop off, it did not deter its popularity. Colter and almost every other Hell’s Kitchen hero will next be part of The Defenders, before furthering his solo journey in a second season. Now, it looks like it may not be too long before production begins.

A few days ago, Simone Missick (Misty Knight) revealed that she just began training for Misty’s next appearance. Even though Jessica Jones is currently filming, this is more than likely preparation for Misty’s return in Luke Cage season 2. But, there have not been any updates on a possible timeline for the season’s production schedule. Well, thanks to OLV, production signs for Luke Cage have begun to appear and could signal that the start of filming is just around the corner.

While this is not definitive evidence that production is already underway, it does mean that the project is in the final stages of pre-production. If this is the case, it should not be long before casting announcements for season two begin. Whenever filming starts in the next few weeks, it will once again mark a point where Marvel and Netflix are filming multiple shows at the same time. They’ve done this before with The Defenders and The Punisher filming concurrently, and with Daredevil season 3 filming later this year, Netflix and Marvel appear to be up to the challenge of producing three seasons on a yearly basis.

Day 1: Back at it. Til’ the sweat… ? ??#mistyknight #mistysofit #actorslife #cardio #weighttraining pic.twitter.com/qHzZRIgDHn— Simone Missick (@SimoneMissick) April 17, 2017

Luke Cage isn’t filming season 2 yet? Maybe reusing these signs for something else? #tiara https://t.co/oxtMYbZOg5— olv (@olv) April 19, 2017

Now the question remains what exactly season 2 of Luke Cage will entail. As The Defenders is set to pick up his story after he is released from prison, the events of the mini-series will surely play a big factor in determining what happens next. Diamondback, Shades, and Mariah Dillard were all still at large at the end of season one, so season two could pick up these storylines once again. However, it could also be used as the debut of Heroes for Hire and introduce more street level heroes. Whatever the case may be, if production is beginning soon, it should not be long before these questions are answered.

The Defenders arrives on August 18th, with The Punisher coming later this year. Daredevil seasons 1 and 2, Jessica Jones season 1, Luke Cage season 1, and Iron Fist season 1 are now available on Netflix. Premiere dates for the next seasons of Jessica Jones, Daredevil, and Luke Cage have not yet been revealed.

Sources: Simone Missick, OLV