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Scarlett Johansson's long-standing reign at the top of the global box office has officially come to an end, with Zoe Saldaña emerging as the highest-grossing movie star of all time.
As of January 12, Saldaña overtook Johansson following the blockbuster performance of Avatar: Fire and Ash, the latest chapter in James Cameron's sci-fi franchise. The film crossed $1.23 billion globally, pushing Saldaña's cumulative box office total to approximately $16.8 billion, according to industry tracker The Numbers.
Saldaña, 47, has built her record-breaking total across 18 major releases, anchored largely by her role as Neytiri in the Avatar films. She is uniquely positioned in cinema history as the only actor to appear in the three highest-grossing movies of all time:
Avatar, Avengers: Endgame, and Avatar: The Way of Water. Her résumé also includes major roles in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, Avengers: Infinity War, and Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.
Johansson, who now drops to second place with an estimated $16.4 billion, had surged into the top spot last summer after the release of Jurassic World Rebirth. Much of her box office dominance stems from her portrayal of Natasha Romanoff, also known as Black Widow, across multiple Marvel Cinematic Universe films. Other actors rounding out the top five highest-grossing stars include Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Downey Jr., and Chris Pratt, all closely associated with Marvel's blockbuster success.
Despite her commercial achievements, Saldaña has previously acknowledged the creative limitations that can accompany franchise filmmaking. In a 2024 interview with The Independent, she reflected on how large-scale productions can reduce artistic input unless performers have significant creative control, noting that success can sometimes turn passion projects into commercial machines.
Saldaña's milestone arrives just one year after she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Emilia Pérez, further cementing her status as both a box office powerhouse and a critically respected performer. With two more Avatar films already in development, her record appears poised to grow even further.
