Since the early days of Hollywood, stunt performers have fueled the mayhem of movies, playing a vital role in sustaining the illusion of countless car chases, bar fights and rooftop leaps.

“John Wick: Chapter 4,” the fourth installment in the Keanu Reeves assassin series, debuted with a franchise-best $73.5 million at the box office.

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This image released by Netflix shows Chris Hemsworth, left, in a scene from "Extraction," premiering this week on Netflix. (Jasin Boland/Netflix via AP)Some of today's top action directors were first doubles for Brad Pitt, Neo and Wolverine. Hargrave is the latest in a lineage of stuntmen who have gone from stepping in for actors to directing them. It's a fairly recent career pathway thanks largely to the success of Chad Stahelski ("John Wick") and David Leitch ("Atomic Blonde"). They've been leaders in the field since founding the action design company 87Eleven in 1997.