Hollywood's box office hierarchy has a new leader. Zoe Saldaña has officially overtaken Scarlett Johansson to become the highest-grossing movie star in cinematic history. This significant shift in the rankings was confirmed on Monday, 12 January 2026.
The Numbers Behind the New Record
The change was propelled by the ongoing success of James Cameron's epic sci-fi series. The latest film, Avatar: Fire and Ash, crossed the $1.23 billion mark at the global box office on Tuesday, 13 January. According to data from the industry tracker The Numbers, this pushed Saldaña's cumulative career worldwide gross to a staggering $16.8 billion.
Saldaña, 47, an Oscar-winning actor, has built this remarkable total through leading roles in 18 films. Her filmography is a roster of modern blockbusters, including the Avatar movies, Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers: Infinity War, and Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. She holds the unique distinction of being the only actor to appear in all three of the highest-grossing films ever made: Avatar, Avengers: Endgame, and Avatar: The Way of Water.
Marvel Co-Stars Dominate the Top Spots
Scarlett Johansson, Saldaña's fellow Marvel Cinematic Universe alum, now occupies second place with a total of $16.4 billion. Johansson had previously leapt from third to first place in the summer of 2025 following the release of Jurassic World Rebirth.
The breakdown of their earnings highlights the power of major franchises. While approximately $6 billion of Saldaña's total is credited to her role as Neytiri in Cameron's Avatar series, a large portion of Johansson's success stems from her portrayal of Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow, in the MCU.
The dominance of superhero cinema on this list is further underscored by the rest of the top five. Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Downey Jr., and Chris Pratt complete the ranking, all largely thanks to their extensive work within the Marvel franchise.
Creative Reflections Amid Commercial Success
Despite her unparalleled commercial achievement, Zoe Saldaña has been candid about the artistic compromises that can come with starring in gigantic franchise films. In an interview with The Independent's Annabel Nugent in December 2024—months before winning the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for Emilia Perez—she spoke thoughtfully about the tension.
"How do I speak about this in a way that won't make those wonderful filmmakers feel like I'm letting them down?" Saldaña pondered. "Because I'm not taking those moments for granted; they're the reason I'm here."
She elaborated on the evolution of such projects, noting, "But when you play a part in something that was so special in the beginning, and because of its success now, feeds a commercial machine that requires a lot more time and therefore now runs on its own… Unless you're a person that has creative control on the project, the level of input you have as an artist is [diminished]. Now I play a smaller part in a bigger thing."
This historic changing of the guard at the pinnacle of box office achievement marks a new chapter, demonstrating the immense drawing power of long-term franchise roles while also highlighting the complex relationship between artistic contribution and commercial scale in modern filmmaking.
