Is it just a platform for Avengers: Infinity War?

Given the cosmic scale of the upcoming battle in the two Avengers: Infinity War movies (in 2018 and 2019, respectively), it’s hard to see exactly how Captain America: Civil War – a totally Earth-based movie, with Earth-based characters – could possibly fit into it. However, Captain America actor Chris Evans has claimed that it will provide the jump-off into it.

How is that the case? These are unrelated events, and to use this opportunity for a creating a brilliant movie like Civil War just to provide a platform for an unrelated future movie seems like it could backfire.

Hopefully, Captain America: Civil War will focus on itself, rather than on an unrelated future event, if only to avoid disappointing the fans.

And then there’s the chance that it could be outshone by another movie.