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Zoe Saldana Overtakes Scarlett Johansson as Highest-Grossing Star

Published January 14, 2026, 06:19
Zoe Saldana Overtakes Scarlett Johansson as Highest-Grossing Star

Zoe Saldana has emerged as the highest-grossing star in film history, surpassing Scarlett Johansson thanks to the massive box office success of "Avatar: Fire and Ash". Saldana's total gross revenue reaches $16.8 billion, while Johansson's stands at $16.4 billion. Saldana's success is largely attributed to her role as Neytiri in the Avatar films, while Johansson's is due to her portrayal of Black Widow in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Saldana is the only actress to have starred in three of the highest-grossing films of all time: Avatar, Avengers: Endgame, and Avatar: The Way of Water. Her steady rise in the rankings is due to 18 films in leading roles, including Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers: Infinity War, and Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. 2025 was a particularly successful year for Saldana, as she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for "Emilia Pérez" and became the first Dominican American to receive this honor. The film also earned her accolades at the Cannes Film Festival and other major events. The dominance of Marvel actors at the top of the list is evident, with Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Downey Jr., and Chris Pratt completing the top five. This highlights the enormous influence and commercial success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in cinema.