When does Loki season 2 take place on the Marvel timeline?

Loki season 2
(Image credit: Marvel)

So, where exactly does Loki season 2 sit on the Marvel timeline? It's an answer that's actually quite tricky to pin down, thanks to the show's tendency to play with time. In fact, as we see in the latest episode, it will happily jump back and forth along the timeline without much trouble, which makes things even more complicated. 

Well, that's where we come in. Think of us as your own personal time keepers as we help navigate just where Loki season 2 fits into the Marvel timeline. It's not too confusing. Promise. 

However, before we get any further, we do get into some spoiler details from season 2 below. So our advice is to make sure you're up to date on the show before going any further.

When does Loki season 2 take place on the Marvel timeline?

Loki

(Image credit: Marvel Studios)

Okay, so, this version of Loki is actually the 2012 version of the character. Back in the first season, it was established pretty quickly that the variant of the villain came from The Avengers. So, in terms of our main character, this is the version we’re following here (bar that hefty character development in the first season).

He does know about everything that has happened in the years since, though, after he was forced to watch a movie reel showing everything up until his death in Avengers: Infinity War in the season 1. So, if you’re still with us, this means that this version of Loki is aware of most events up until 2017/2018 as they pertain to him.

It’s also worth noting that the whole premise of Loki happens as a result of Avengers: Endgame, as that saw the team travel back through time to stop Thanos. Loki having the Tesseract was one of the loose ends that Earth’s Mightiest Heroes forgot to tie up in the aftermath. Therefore, Loki season 2 also takes place after the events of that movie too (which spans the period 2018-2023 in the MCU) in a way.

In terms of events, Loki also references the post-credits scene of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania which introduced Kang variant Victor Timely. So, it’s a fair assumption to make that the second season also follows on from these events too. That film is set in around 2025 in the MCU timeline.

However, in terms of when exactly Loki season 2 is set in terms of a date, things are harder to pin down. The TVA exists outside of time, and its employees are able to move between the main (sacred) timeline and the other branched timelines. We've already seen that plenty with Loki's trips to Broxton and, prior to that, London in 1977. In Loki season 2 episode 3, they head even further back too as Loki and Mobius find another Kang variant in 1893 Chicago.

With time travel at their disposal, the exact timing of the show is quite, shall we say, flexible. Still, we'd place this towards the end of the current MCU timeline if you're watching as part of a marathon. This Loki, for all intents and purposes, has caught up with his own past history and everything takes place post-Endgame and in close proximity to Marvel Phase 5 projects. Most importantly, however, our advice would be to just relax and try not to think about the timeline too hard. Your brain might start to hurt.

For more on Loki, check out our guides to:

Fay Watson
Deputy Entertainment Editor

I’m the Deputy Entertainment Editor here at GamesRadar+, covering TV and film for the Total Film and SFX sections online. I previously worked as a Senior Showbiz Reporter and SEO TV reporter at Express Online for three years. I've also written for The Resident magazines and Amateur Photographer, before specializing in entertainment.