There’s a new highest-grossing actor in the history of movies.
According to The Numbers, Zoe Saldaña has edged past Scarlett Johansson to become the #1 grossing actor in the entirety of cinema. Saldaña has appeared in many of the biggest films of the last two decades, including all three Guardians of the Galaxy films, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, plus all three Avatar films, up to and including the new Avatar: Fire and Ash, which recently passed $1 billion at the global box office and continues to sell tickets at an impressive rate.
Between those various franchises, Saldaña has appeared in all three of the three biggest movies in history — and can take credit for a total of $15.46 billion worth of worldwide grosses.
The other competitors for this lucrative honor include Scarlett Johansson, who has even more Marvel blockbusters to her name (and appears alongside Saldaña in Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame) plus the recent Jurassic World Rebirth, and Samuel L. Jackson, who’s got his own massive Marvel resume, plus The Incredibles and Incredibles 2, Kong: Skull Island, and original Jurassic Park.
Johansson’s movies have grossed $15.40 billion; Jackson’s have earned $14.6 billion. The next name on The Numbers’ list is yet another Marvel alum, Robert Downey Jr., whose movies have grossed a collective $14.31 billion — a number that will climb significantly later this year when Avengers: Doomsday opens in theaters.
20th Century Cinemas
READ MORE: Is Fire and Ash the Best Avatar Yet?
Obviously the uniting factor in all those names is Marvel, which really tells you just how massive the MCU has been over the past 15 years or so. Of course, it helps that Marvel actors don’t just make one or two Marvel movies; the big names in the franchise tend to make upwards of seven, or eight, or nine appearances. Those add up to a ton of money — or at least they have historically.
Avatar: Fire and Ash, starring Zoe Saldaña, is playing in theaters around the world now.
