Fans were ecstatic to see Loki expanding on the concept of the Multiverse in the Marvel Cinematic Universe before the release of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The series not only gave fans a more straightforward explanation of how the Multiverse worked but a slew of Easter eggs too, including one for the Living Tribunal, a powerful cosmic being in the comics.
The significance of its appearance in Loki was due to them being responsible for safeguarding the Multiverse in the comics. The cosmic entity was even planned to appear in Avengers: Infinity War to confront Thanos, but it was ultimately scrapped.
However, the cosmic being's first proper debut could be in Multiverse of Madness.
Meeting the Living Tribunal Face to Faces
In the latest promotional footage for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, new scenes show America Chavez's powers on full display. The character punches a star-shaped hole into the Multiverse before she and Strange tumble through it, with one universe, in particular, sticking out.
It showed multiple floating heads with a distinctive cloth covering them, which matches the appearance of none other than the Living Tribunal.
They appear identical to the stone statue briefly seen in Loki, but these have bright glowing eyes. However, whether these are simply conduits for the Living Tribunal or the entity itself is unknown.
The full new promo for Mulitverse of Madness can be watched below, with the Living Tribunal spotted at the :09 mark:
Open the door to a vast Multiverse. Experience Marvel Studios’ #DoctorStrange in the Multiverse of Madness only in theaters May 6. Get Tickets Now: https://t.co/6dSFa3aygn pic.twitter.com/a42jzSniS4
Who is The Living Tribunal?
The Living Tribunal existed in the comics as a safeguard to the Multiverse, acting as a force of balance and ensuring that no one universe gained more power than another. The way it did this was existing in every universe simultaneously, which meant that the Living Tribunal doesn't have any Variants, at least in the comics.
However, the Living Tribunal has been killed in the comics before, with its simultaneous existence becoming a detriment. If it were to die in one universe, it would die in all of them.
But, it's unknown how the Living Tribunal will function in the MCU. Still, Marvel Studios has been seemingly planning on including the cosmic being in a big way for years if the deleted scene of it confronting Thanos in Infinity War is any indication, not to mention its inclusion as an Easter egg in the Multiverse-focused Loki series.
Heck, the cosmic being was first referenced back in 2016 by Chiwetel Ejiofor's Karl Mordo in Doctor Strange when he was assigned the magical weapon, "The Staff of the Living Tribunal." But will it finally make a proper appearance in Multiverse of Madness?
In the comics, the first being that it encountered in the prime universe, Earth-616, was Doctor Strange himself, so it'd be more than appropriate for the Living Tribunal's first actual appearance in the MCU to be in this Doctor Strange sequel. After all, it seems like the Multiverse will be in danger of breaking, and its job is to maintain balance within it, maybe even confronting Wanda in a similar vein to how it was meant to confront Thanos.
Fans will find out whether the Living Tribunal will interfere when Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is released in theaters on May 6.
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