Christian Bale arrives in Australia to begin filming Thor: Love and Thunder. The highly-anticipated Marvel Studios sequel was initially eyeing a summer start date for production, but those plans obviously needed to change in wake of the coronavirus pandemic. After an extended delay, the project is getting back on track, with the latest word being cameras will start rolling in January 2021. In preparation for principal photography, star Natalie Portman recently landed in Australia herself.

Portman is one of many Marvel Cinematic Universe veterans returning for Thor: Love and Thunder, though the film has a very notable new addition in the form of Oscar-winner Christian Bale. Bale is playing Thor: Love and Thunder's villain, but his character name hasn't been revealed yet. Viewers are curious to learn more about his involvement in the project, and as they wait for official details, the actor is joining his fellow cast members in Australia.

Related: Marvel Characters Christian Bale Could Be Playing In Thor: Love and Thunder

YouTube user KobieThatcher shared a short video of Bale arriving in Sydney, presumably for Thor: Love and Thunder filming. Check it out in the space below:

The MCU's upcoming movie release dates were delayed due to the pandemic, leading to a lengthy drought of new Marvel content. With that in mind, it's encouraging to see the franchise's films finally get back to work. Thor: Love and Thunder joins Spider-Man: Homecoming 3 and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness as Marvel films that will be shooting this fall and winter, moving Phase 4 in the right direction. Ideally, Thor: Love and Thunder will be able to avoid any COVID-related setbacks during principal photography. It hasn't always been smooth sailing for movies that have resumed production amidst the health crisis (see: The Batman temporarily shutting down earlier this year), but plenty of projects have been able to wrap without major issues - including Marvel's own Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Three Rings.

It'll probably be some time before viewers see any Thor: Love and Thunder set photos or videos, since production reportedly won't start for another couple of months. That said, seeing Bale arrive in Australia will likely spark continued speculation and theories about his role in the film. Bale has largely steered clear of massive franchise fare in his career, with the Dark Knight trilogy and Terminator: Salvation exceptions in his filmography. It's interesting Thor: Love and Thunder appealed to him, but working with a creative and acclaimed director like Taika Waititi was too good of an opportunity to pass up. In its earliest days, the MCU struggled establishing strong villains in their films, but more recent efforts have reversed the trend. Hopefully, Bale's antagonist will be another memorable addition to the MCU.

More: Predicting Thor's Next Movie After Love and Thunder

Source: KobieThatcher