When we last saw the Avengers in Captain America: Civil War, they had been broken in two by the machinations of Helmut Zemo. Tony Stark/Iron Man and those who sided with him now operate under the wing of the government, while Steve Rogers/Captain America and his allies are wanted vigilantes. The relationship between Tony and Steve was also fractured when it was revealed that Steve deliberately withheld the fact that Bucky Barnes murdered Tony's parents.
With Avengers: Infinity War on the horizon and our heroes scattered, it doesn't seem like Earth's Mightiest will be in good shape when Thanos comes to call. According to Civil War and Infinity War co-director Anthony Russo, this was a deliberate move on their part, not just for storytelling consequences, but to challenge themselves for the next film.
“There’s a writing adage that says ‘write yourself into a corner.’ My brother and I have always loved that adage," said Russo in an interview with The Independent. "That was one of our favourite things about Civil War – that it ended in a difficult place where it’s hard to imagine what the road forward exactly is for both Tony Stark, Steve Rogers and these two sides that have suffered the consequences of this division. On a storytelling level, it is a very difficult place and yes, that is very much the condition of the world as we move forward after Civil War. This very much sets the stage for where Infinity War begins – it’s a place of a strong divide.”
Despite a pretty clear ending, many fans misinterpreted the final scene of Civil War, thinking that Tony forgives Steve after receiving his letter of apology. Russo clarified that this is not the case, stating that the divide between the characters is far too important to be resolved offscreen. “We believe things that are important and complex for a character to go through should be seen on camera. The divisions that happened at the end of Civil War were so deep they’re not the kind of things you can resolve or move through off camera; they’re the kind of things you have to directly deal with in the storytelling. That’s our philosophical approach to how we handle those things.”