When Captain Marvel actor Brie Larson accepted the MTV Movie Award for “Best Fight,” she didn’t approach the stage alone. Instead, Larson used the opportunity to introduce her two stunt doubles. These agile actors frequently filled in for more daring scenes, but quick editing cuts may lead audiences to assume it was Larson herself swinging from ropes or sprinting atop a moving train.
Neuropsychologists call this phenomenon a “continuity field”: We visually merge the images observed in the previous 15 seconds to stabilize our visual input. This explains why we don’t typically notice certain subtle changes, such as when actors like Larson are swapped with stunt doubles.
