The Marvel Cinematic Universe's Thanos was able to destroy half of all living things with the power of the Infinity Gauntlet, but there are beings out there in the Marvel universe that may prove to be even more powerful. With Mordo recently confirmed to return in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the name of his staff may be a hint at an entity who may soon make its debut, with huge implications for the future of the MCU.

Mordo, a seemingly benevolent master of the mystic arts in Doctor Strange, used a weapon called the Staff of the Living Tribunal. In the film's post-credits scene, he turns against the other mystics after becoming disillusioned with the Ancient One's abuses of dark magic, and states his belief that there are "too many sorcerers." This probably implies he will be bringing the fight to Strange, the new Sorcerer Supreme, in the upcoming sequel.

RELATED: MCU Theory: Doctor Strange Has a History With Loki

The name "Living Tribunal" bears big significance in Marvel comic continuity. First introduced in Strange Tales #157, the Living Tribunal is a cosmic being that acts as judge, jury and executioner on a mission to maintain balance throughout the Marvel Multiverse. The being possesses three voices, each representing a part of their identity -- all three must agree on a course of action before the Tribunal can act.

The Living Tribunal from Marvel Comics holds out his arms as blue electric bolts blast from his eyes

Their powers are second only to the One-Above-All, the creator of all life in the mainstream and all alternate Marvel universes, which is collectively known as the Multiverse. For example, the mainstream continuity, in which most stories occur, is known as Earth-616, but the Marvel Zombies run occurs in the alternate Earth-2149, while Spider-Man Noir exists in Earth-90214, and so on. The existence of these universes, and even their names, were recently referenced in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, although they are yet to officially appear in a Disney-produced film, outside of a brief mention by the Ancient One.

Although the Infinity Gauntlet allowed its user to possess near-unlimited power, it was seemingly limited to only affecting the universe in which it exists (Earth-199999), and caused severe damage to its user, disfiguring Thanos and killing Tony Stark. On the other hand, the Living Tribunal can bend reality to its will without taking any damage back, and both exist and enact changes in any one of the potentially limitless alternate universes. In Warlock and the Infinity Watch #1, the Tribunal was even able to prevent the Infinity Gems from being used altogether.

RELATED: Marvel Says the MCU's Infinity Stones Are Officially Destroyed

The Tribunal hasn't been officially confirmed thus far, but the fact that Mordo would have named his staff after it suggests the arbiter of the cosmos may truly exist. Avengers: Infinity War writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely actually revealed the Tribunal was initially meant to appear in the film to judge Thanos but was ultimately scrapped. In fact, the mere title of the sequel film, which references the Multiverse, acts as further proof that the film intends to explore the realm of the Living Tribunal.

Mordo's fight against the other sorcerers might involve significant damage to the fabric of time and space, and may ultimately compel the Tribunal to intervene. In the comics, the Tribunal appeared when Strange freed the monstrous Zom to help him defeat Umar the Unrelenting, Dormammu's twin sister. A similar scenario, perhaps one in which Mordo assists Umar in a mission to take over her brother's plan to invade Earth, could also lead to its presence being required.

The introduction of the Living Tribunal and its boss, the God-like One-Above-All, can act as a harbinger of new concepts in the MCU that can further expand the universe as the franchise moves on from the Infinity Saga. In addition to opening up the possibility of the existence of other realities in which stories can take place, their presence may lay the groundwork for the later appearance of characters like the Silver Surfer, Galactus, the Beyonder and the Stranger. A similarly mysterious cosmic figure with the power to witness multiple realities named Uatu has already been confirmed to appear in Marvel's What If...? series.

If the Tribunal makes their appearance anytime soon, it seems fitting they would make it in the Multiverse of Madness, given the being's comic history with Strange and the name of Mordo's staff. Therefore, fans seeking to know which direction the MCU is headed should pay close attention to the Sorcerer Supreme's next appearance.

KEEP READING: Sony Is A Necessary Player in the World of Marvel Movies