The surprising actress set to overtake Scarlett Johansson as Hollywood’s highest-grossing star

The race to become the highest-grossing star in Hollywood history is heating up, and the latest name surging up the rankings has surprised many. Zoe Saldaña has climbed to second place among the highest-grossing actors of all time, overtaking Samuel L. Jackson and closing in fast on the reigning box office queen, Scarlett Johansson.

Thanks to the strong performance of “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” the latest installment in James Cameron’s blockbuster saga, Saldaña’s career box office total now stands at an astonishing $14.8 billion. That figure puts her within striking distance of Johansson, who currently leads the all-time list with approximately $15.3 billion. With “Avatar: Fire and Ash” still playing in theaters, industry watchers widely expect Saldaña to take the top spot in the coming weeks.

Zoe Saldaña’s rise to the top of Hollywood’s box office rankings

While “Avatar: Fire and Ash” has not dominated the global box office quite like the first two films in the franchise, few doubt it will finish as one of the highest-grossing releases of recent years. That success alone could be enough to push Saldaña past Johansson and make her the highest-grossing actor in Hollywood history.

The gap between the two stars is roughly $500 million, a sum that “Avatar: Fire and Ash” is likely to surpass comfortably before its theatrical run ends.

From Neytiri to box office history

Saldaña first stepped into box office history in 2009 with her role as Neytiri, the Na’vi warrior at the heart of “Avatar.” The original film remains the highest-grossing movie of all time, earning about $2.9 billion worldwide. She reprised the role in “Avatar: The Way of Water” in 2022 and again in “Avatar: Fire and Ash” in 2025.

That makes Saldaña the only actress to appear in multiple films that each grossed more than $2 billion worldwide, an achievement that underscores her unique place in modern blockbuster cinema.

Marvel’s massive impact on Saldaña’s earnings

Marvel Studios has also played a decisive role in Saldaña’s box office dominance. Beyond the “Guardians of the Galaxy” trilogy, she returned as Gamora in “Avengers: Infinity War” in 2018 and “Avengers: Endgame” in 2019. Together, those two “Avengers” films earned nearly $5 billion worldwide, cementing her status as one of the most bankable stars in the industry.

Despite the financial success, Saldaña has been candid about the creative toll of franchise filmmaking. She recently admitted feeling “artistically stuck” after spending much of the past decade working on major franchises, saying she felt creatively confined by the repetition of blockbuster roles.

A short-lived reign with Robert Downey Jr. looming?

Even if Saldaña claims the box office crown, her reign may be brief. In December 2026, “Avengers: Doomsday” will hit theaters with Robert Downey Jr. taking center stage as Doctor Doom. Downey currently sits fourth on the all-time list with about $14.3 billion in career box office earnings.

If “Avengers: Doomsday” performs as expected, Downey could leapfrog everyone and ultimately emerge as the highest-grossing actor in Hollywood history, proving once again that in the world of blockbuster cinema, the rankings can change almost overnight.

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