The Russos Say The Avengers Will Be “At Their Lowest, At Their Worst, At Their Least Strong” In ‘Infinity War’

This summer’s “Captain America: Civil War” showed how to pit superheroes against each other, and do it right (sorry, “Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice“). Directors Joe and Anthony Russo, along with screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely developed a complex idealogical split between the members of the Avengers, one that isn’t easily solved because some Moms share the same name. And while the day was saved, ‘Civil War’ still leaves the superhero team fractured, a fascinating place for them to be in when they return to the big screen in “Avengers: Infinity War,” and it’s that element that the Russos think will make for some very compelling storytelling.

“Part of what excited us about how we could end ‘Civil War,’ and the fact that there is this divide between Cap and Tony and their relationship that will be very, very difficult for them to ever repair, the fact that the Avengers are divided in two and half of them are now wanted by the law and the other fact are not too comfortable with their fate moving forward, and the fact that Thanos and the Infinity War are coming — the greatest threat the universe has ever seen is going to come at the moment where the Avengers are arguably at their lowest, at their worst, at their least strong and most divided since they’ve been formed — that for us was a very exciting place for us to be as storytellers because of the vulnerable nature of our heroes in that kind of a situation,” Joe Russo told IGN. “For us, as we move forward into ‘Infinity War,’ the condition of the Avengers is very much an important part of how that story starts and what dangers they face moving forward.”

That’s certainly fascinating texture to bring to a superhero movie, and of course, this being the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Russos are conscious of telling a story that serves the grander story arc as well.

“From the point of view of Joe and I, we think about all of these movies as a continuity,” Anthony Russo said. “The story that we told in ‘Winter Soldier’ set the basis for the story we told in ‘Civil War,’ and the story that we told in ‘Civil War’ is again laying the groundwork for the story that we’re going to tell in ‘Avengers: Infinity War.’ For us, there’s a narrative continuity between the movies, and each movie is in many ways setting the stage for the ones that follow. For us, we have a very specific through-line for all those films.”

And don’t forget, ‘Infinity War’ will mark the end of the MCU as we’ve know it to date, with the directors recently promising the pair of movies will start something new, too.

Still, it’s a long wait until 2018 when we’ll see ‘Infinity War,’ but until you then you can dive into “Captain America: Civil War” which arrives on Blu-ray and DVD on September 13th. Check out the full list of extra features below, along with a deleted scene and some bonus feature clips.

• United We Stand, Divided We Fall
  • The Making of Captain America: Civil War Part 1 (21:26) & Part 2 (22:18) – As the tension mounts, sides are chosen and lines drawn. Learn more about the characters on each side—from Captain America and Iron Man to the latest recruits. In this complete behind-the-scenes look at a landmark in the Marvel saga, we’ll examine their stories through exclusive footage and interviews and discover just what went into selecting the Super Hero teams, filming the epic action sequences and introducing Black Panther and Spider-Man to the MCU.
• Captain America: The Road to Civil War (3:58)
  • Explore the First Avenger’s fascinating evolution from loyal soldier to seasoned, conflicted hero who questions authority.
• Iron Man: The Road to Civil War (4:12)
  • From Gulmira to Sokovia, delve into the development and evolution of one of the most iconic characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
• Gag Reel (2:43)
  • Break the tension of this high-stakes conflict with some hilarious outtakes featuring the lighter side of your favorite Super Heroes.
• Deleted & Extended Scenes
  • Check out never-before-seen footage that didn’t make the final cut of Captain America: Civil War:
    • Extended Peggy’s Funeral (5:39)
    • Zemo Meets Doctor Broussard (:30)
    • ‘You are not used to the truth’ (:47)
    • ‘Gotta get me one of those’ (:25)
• Audio Commentary
  • Directors Anthony and Joe Russo and screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely deliver scene-by-scene insight and explain the storytelling challenges they faced creating the third installment of the Captain America franchise.
• Open Your Mind: Marvel’s Doctor Strange
  • Exclusive Sneak Peek (3:49) – Go behind and beyond the scenes as Doctor Strange makes his journey to the big screen.