Last (And First) Avengers Standing
Of course, the most direct way in which Infinity War sets up future movies is the climactic events which provide the most dramatic cliffhanger for Avengers 4 that you could possibly imagine: Thanos has won and half of all life in the universe, including many of the superheroes, has blinked out of existence.
The process is ostensibly random, but once you dry your eyes and inspect the heroes that are left, it suggests what the thematic core of the next Avengers film might be. With the exception of Rocket, War Machine and supporting characters such as Okoye and M’Baku, the surviving heroes are Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Banner and Black Widow. In other words, five of the original six Avengers. And, as we’ve said, Hawkeye is sure to be alive, too.
After the “everyone’s invited!” party of Infinity War, then, it seems that Avengers 4 will bring things full circle by focusing on the first generation of the MCU’s heroes. And, as we know that many of these actors’ contracts are up, just because they survived Thanos’ attack doesn’t mean they’re guaranteed to survive through the next film.