Explaining Marvel’s the Living Tribunal (And Its Ties to Dr. Strange)
Come meet the judge, jury, and executioner of the multiverse.
Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness is set to premiere in theaters on May 6th, 2022, and it can’t quite come fast enough. Despite the fact that it is so close to release, Marvel has kept the details of this project very under wraps. Even a week away, and with two trailers, so many characters and plot details remain elusive to viewers.
What we do know, is that Doctor Strange 2 is very entwined with the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home, WandaVision, and Loki. All of these projects touched on the multiverse, but Doctor Strange 2 will truly explore the inner workings of the phenomena. Dr. Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) is actually going to be traveling into the multiverse himself. Along the way, he’ll come across numerous variants of himself, including the Supreme Strange we saw in What If…?
Still, so many questions remain, particularly whether Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) is appearing as friend or foe. Also, whether her children, Billy (Julian Hilliard) and Tommy (Jett Klyne) will be reappearing, or are part of a dream. Patrick Stewart is starring in an undisclosed role, meaning we almost can (but can’t quite) confirm he is reprising his role as Professor X. Meanwhile, there are still rumors swirling that Loki (Tom Hiddleston), Captain Marvel (Brie Larson), Mr. Fantastic (John Krasinski), or even Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) could appear in the film. Now, Doctor Strange 2‘s second teaser added yet another component to the mix—the Living Tribunal.
Who is the Living Tribunal?
The Living Tribunal is an all-powerful humanoid cosmic entity appearing in Marvel comics. It has existed as long as the universe itself has and serves as the judge of the multiverse. There is only one Living Tribunal—it has no variants in the multiverse. However, it can exist on multiple planes of existence, meaning, it can give the illusion of having multiple variations. The Living Tribunal manifests itself in a giant, golden humanoid form with three cloaked faces. Its three faces represent Equity, Necessity, and Vengeance—the three values by which it judges the universes.
The Living Tribunal’s main job is to maintain the mystic balances of the universe. For example, if one planet amasses too much power or if an overwhelming force of evil presents itself, the Living Tribunal must act to restore balance. This is illustrated by the entity’s very first appearance in Strange Tales #157–163. In the story, Living Tribunal is ready to obliterate Earth because of its mass potential for evil, only relenting when Doctor Strange proves the good of Earth.
Living Tribunal’s powers are essentially limitless. It is an omnipotent, all-powerful, and wholly impartial being. This means, it truly serves no higher power or self-interests, and acts completely based on what is truly best for the universes. This, in turn, means that it will not falter to obliterate thousands for the sake of saving billions. The Living Tribunal wields the power of virtually all universes and isn’t matched by even the Infinity Gauntlet. However, it was exceeded in power only by the Beyonders, who succeeded in killing the being.
The Living Tribunal and Doctor Strange 2
The Living Tribunal has not been officially confirmed to appear in Doctor Strange 2. Yet, fans are fairly sure that they have spotted him in one of the Doctor Strange 2 teasers. In the scene, Strange and America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez) are seen flying through the multiverse and they pass what appears to be the head of the Living Tribunal. Its glowing eyes, facial structure, and cloak all point to the Living Tribunal.
This has especially excited fans because we missed out on Marvel’s first chance to include the Living Tribunal. The Living Tribunal was actually set to make its first live-action debut in Avengers: Infinity War. It would have judged Thanos (Josh Brolin) for his crimes and the power imbalance he created on earth. However, it was ultimately cut from Avengers: Infinity War.
Since Marvel has already been toying with the idea of debuting the Living Tribunal, it makes it all the more likely that it will appear in Doctor Strange 2. Meanwhile, the Living Tribunal was first mentioned in the MCU in the first Doctor Strange film. In Doctor Strange, Karl Mordor (Chiwetel Ejiofor) wields a staff called “The Staff of the Living Tribunal.” The staff did, indeed, belong to The Living Tribunal before being obtained by the Masters of the Mystic Arts.
Doctor Strange 2 has not confirmed its villain, but we can guess it’s probably in need of some judgment. And with the Living Tribunal having such strong ties to Doctor Strange (in both the comics and films), we’re hoping it may finally make its appearance.
(featured image: Jim Starlin)
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