The Mind-Bending Chronological Puzzle: Unraveling Loki's Place in the MCU Timeline

Summary

Loki takes place after Avengers: Endgame but also exists outside of the timeline due to the involvement of the TVA.

The TVA exists beyond the confines of time and space, enabling Loki's appearances in different eras of the MCU timeline.

Marvel Phase 4 cleverly employs various temporal techniques, with Loki broadening the scope of the MCU through its exploration of multiple timelines and introduction of the multiverse.

Loki falls within the Marvel Cinematic Universe timeline and serves as the third Disney+ show released by Marvel. The series features Tom Hiddleston reprising his role as Loki, the mischievous God, who resurfaces after his disappearance with the Space Stone in Avengers: Endgame. Avengers: Endgame introduced time travel to the MCU, and Loki delves deeper into this concept by introducing the Time Variance Authority (TVA), an organization that oversees the timeline and multiverse. The season 1 finale of Loki carries significant implications for both.

Given these elements, the timeline (or timelines) of the MCU plays a crucial role in Loki, addressing the aftermath of Avengers: Endgame. As the movie created multiple branches, although most were resolved, there were still discrepancies and disagreements regarding the mechanics of it all. Loki provides clarity on such matters, but it remains essential to determine where and when its events take place within the broader MCU context.

Your browser does not support the video tag.

Loki's Place In The Timeline Is After Avengers: Endgame

The placement of Loki in the MCU timeline is quite intricate. By using the Tesseract to teleport, Loki creates a new timeline, which occurs after The Avengers in 2012. During this time, Loki remains a villain and is still far from redemption. However, the show takes place after the events of Endgame, indicating that the film's occurrences have also transpired. It is essential to note that the time heist had to occur for Loki to teleport away, as depicted and acknowledged in the series. This puts Loki in a peculiar position, existing in multiple points of the timeline or perhaps none at all. Nonetheless, this arrangement aligns with the involvement of the TVA.

The TVA operates beyond the confines of time and space, granting it the freedom to disregard the established rules of the MCU timeline. In Endgame, when Loki vanishes into another timeline, the TVA locates and transports him to their headquarters, thus placing him outside the grasp of the timeline itself. This extraordinary circumstance presents a multitude of possibilities for the character's future, as Loki is no longer confined to a single point in time but can traverse various eras, particularly with the introduction of time-slipping in Loki season 2. Consequently, Loki can now be witnessed across the entirety of the MCU's timeline, extending beyond his initial departure from the events of 2012.

How Loki Uses The MCU's Timeline Tricks

Utilizing various timeline tricks, Marvel Phase 4 incorporates innovative storytelling techniques. Serving as a prequel, Black Widow is set between Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War. WandaVision transports viewers through multiple decades while taking place after Avengers: Endgame. Eternals takes the audience on a journey spanning thousands of years. This approach magnificently expands the Marvel Cinematic Universe's scope and aligns seamlessly with its exploration of the multiverse. Loki, with its ability to delve into different timelines, including the branches created in Endgame, and to establish a fresh character arc following The Avengers, aptly contributes to this overall narrative.