Zoe Saldaña has officially been crowned the highest-grossing actor at the worldwide box office, surpassing long-time record holder Scarlett Johansson thanks to the continued success of Avatar: Fire and Ash. Saldaña’s films have now collectively earned over $15.4 billion globally, a figure boosted by the newest Avatar instalment’s $1.23 billion and counting.
The achievement marks a remarkable milestone in a career built on some of the biggest franchises in Hollywood history. Saldaña’s work spans multiple cinematic universes — from playing Neytiri in James Cameron’s Avatar saga to Gamora in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers films, and even starring as Nyota Uhura in the Star Trek reboots.
What makes Saldaña’s box-office dominance especially notable is the outsized impact of the Avatar franchise itself. The original Avatar (2009) remains the highest-grossing film of all time, pulling in roughly $2.9 billion worldwide, while its sequel Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) sits among the top three all-time earners. These films alone have anchored Saldaña’s total, with Fire and Ash now reinforcing her lead.
Saldaña also stands out as the first actor ever to appear in four films that each grossed more than $2 billion globally — a feat unmatched in cinema history. Those four films are Avatar, Avengers: Endgame (the second-highest grossing movie ever), Avatar: The Way of Water, and Avengers: Infinity War.
Before Fire and Ash, Scarlett Johansson had briefly climbed to the top of the highest-grossing actor rankings in 2025, assisted by hits like Jurassic World Rebirth alongside her massive Marvel portfolio. But Zoe Saldaña’s diverse franchise credits and the sustained performance of Avatar across three films have now pushed her ahead.
Elsewhere on the all-time list are several familiar Hollywood heavyweights, most of whom have carved their totals through long runs in superhero epics and global tentpoles. Samuel L. Jackson, another Marvel stalwart, ranks among the highest grossers with roughly $14.6 billion, followed by Robert Downey Jr. at about $14.3 billion and Chris Pratt with around $14.1 billion.
Beyond the Marvel sphere, box-office titans such as Tom Cruise, Chris Hemsworth, Vin Diesel, Chris Evans, and Dwayne Johnson also populate the top ranks of highest-grossing actors, underscoring how blockbuster franchises — from Fast & Furious to Mission: Impossible — continue to shape Hollywood’s commercial landscape.
Saldaña’s rise to the summit comes at a peak moment in her career. In 2025 she also won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Emilia Pérez, adding critical acclaim to her box-office legacy.
