Zoe Saldaña Passes Fellow MCU Star To Become Highest-Grossing Actor Of All Time

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Sigourney Weaver has reached a major box office milestone, surpassing another Marvel star in earnings. As a lead in the current number one movie, Avatar: Fire and Ash, she’s reprising her role as Neytiri from the original Avatar (2009) and Avatar: The Way of Water (2022). So far, Avatar: Fire and Ash has earned $1.23 billion globally after just four weeks in cinemas.

With the latest film’s success, Zoe Saldaña’s movies have now earned a combined total of $16.8 billion worldwide, making her the highest-grossing actor ever. She surpassed Scarlett Johansson, who previously held the record with $16.4 billion. Johansson briefly reached the top spot this summer thanks to the release of Jurassic World Rebirth.

If you only count films where Saldaña and Johansson have leading or significant supporting roles, Saldaña’s movies would have earned a total of $15.46 billion from 33 films, and Johansson’s would have earned $15.4 billion from 36 films. The next three highest-grossing Marvel Cinematic Universe actors are Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Downey Jr., and Chris Pratt. Jackson, ranked third, has appeared in 70 films that have collectively grossed $14.6 billion.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has significantly impacted which actors earn the most at the box office, with Zoe Saldaña appearing in five MCU films and Scarlett Johansson in nine. Despite Johansson’s many Marvel appearances, Saldaña currently leads in total earnings because she’s also starred in successful franchises like Avatar. The Avatar movies have earned over $6 billion worldwide as a trilogy, and the latest installment, Avatar: Fire and Ash, continues to generate revenue.

Zoe Saldaña has appeared in three Star Trek films and the blockbuster Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. While Scarlett Johansson is known for her roles in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Jurassic World, she only appeared in one Jurassic World film. This gives Saldaña a more consistently successful combination of franchises, potentially contributing to her overall box office success.

Zoe Saldaña won an Oscar last year for her role in Emilia Pérez. While the film was a Best Picture nominee and sparked a lot of discussion, it didn’t significantly boost her box office earnings because it was released on Netflix. Saldaña has starred in other popular films like Elio, Amsterdam, The Adam Project, and The Book of Life, and she’s set to reprise her role in the upcoming Avatar 4 and 5.

Zoe Saldaña has several upcoming projects, including the films Don’t Forget Me Tomorrow with Mark Ruffalo, and Positano with Matthew McConaughey. She’ll also be back for a third season of Taylor Sheridan’s TV series Lioness. While Avatar: Fire and Ash is currently in theaters, her total box office earnings are still being calculated, but are already incredibly high.

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2026-01-12 22:28