Zoe Saldaña has surpassed the previous Scarlett Johansson box office record, becoming the new top-grossing actor in Hollywood history. This change occurred after Saldaña’s recent role as Neytiri in James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ash, cementing her status at the top of The Numbers’ lifetime box office leaderboard.
Saldaña Overtakes Johansson’s Box Office Record
Approximately six months after Scarlett Johansson claimed the title of the highest grossing actor in film box office totals, Zoe Saldaña has now claimed the top spot. Avatar: Fire and Ash has collected $1.23 billion worldwide so far, which has elevated Saldaña’s total box office earnings in leading or ensemble roles to $15.46 billion. Scarlett Johansson follows with $15.06 billion, based on statistics from box office tracking service The Numbers.
Marvel Stars Dominate the Earnings List
The rest of the five highest earning actors in box office history include Samuel L. Jackson with $14.6 billion, Robert Downey Jr. at $14.3 billion, and Chris Pratt with $14.1 billion. Each of these actors, including Saldaña and Johansson, are strongly linked through their significant roles in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Saldaña, in particular, is known for her portrayal of Gamora in the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy and the hit Avengers: Infinity War, which made over $2 billion globally.
Role Classifications Influence Rankings
Questions sometimes arise concerning which roles are counted as lead or supporting for box office tracking purposes. For example, Robert Downey Jr.’s role in Oppenheimer was considered supporting, meaning its $975 million earnings did not figure into his total. However, his anticipated role as Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday will almost certainly be a lead ensemble performance and will likely be included in future calculations.
Potential Changes in Top Grossing Spot
The race for highest cumulative box office gross remains competitive. If Scarlett Johansson does not return as Black Widow in an upcoming blockuster, Robert Downey Jr. could overtake Saldaña in the rankings after the release of Avengers: Doomsday. Additionally, Chris Pratt, Saldaña’s co-star from Guardians of the Galaxy, is set to appear in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. This new release is expected to meet or even surpass the $1.36 billion total achieved by its predecessor, which could push Pratt higher on the earnings list.
The Future of the Avatar Franchise
Beyond her current success, Saldaña is already slated to return as Neytiri for two more Avatar sequels, planned for release in 2029 and 2031. The franchise is on track to exceed $6.5 billion in lifetime grosses, highlighting its continuing impact at the global box office and Saldaña’s ongoing potential to set new records.
