Scarlett Johansson once looked completely secure at the very top of Hollywood’s box office rankings, all thanks to her golden blockbuster era. With popular Marvel hits and billion-dollar franchises, it seemed like her position as the industry’s top earner was going to last for a long time.
But now, that reign has come to an end. A fellow MCU star has stepped into the spotlight with a massive Pandora-set sci-fi movie release that pushed the lifetime box office total past $16.8 billion, overtaking Johansson’s tally by almost $423 million.
Scarlett Johansson Loses Her No. 1 Box Office Crown to Zoe Saldaña
Zoe Saldaña now officially holds the title of the highest-grossing actor in movie history. The latest chapter in James Cameron’s sci-fi saga, ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash‘, crossed $1.23 billion at the worldwide box office as of January 12, and that surge sent Saldaña’s career total to a staggering $16,859,193,100. That figure moved her ahead of Johansson, who now stands at $16,435,483,784.
Related: How Scarlett Johansson’s Rumored Gotham Role Could Change ‘The Batman – Part II’
Johansson had only recently climbed to the top of the all-time rankings, but Saldaña’s new Avatar numbers were enough to take that crown away. Both actresses rose to global fame through the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Johansson became one of Marvel’s most iconic faces as Natasha Romanoff, while Saldaña made her mark as Gamora. However, it was Saldaña’s work outside Marvel that gave her the final edge.
How ‘Avatar’ Put Zoe Saldaña on Top
Saldaña has played the Na’vi warrior Neytiri across all three ‘Avatar‘ films, and that role alone accounts for about $6 billion of her lifetime box office total. Now that ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash‘ is adding more than $1.23 billion, the gap between her and Johansson seems wider than ever. However, her record does not come from Pandora alone.
In case you missed it: How ‘Avatar: Fire And Ash’ Uses Conflict To Push Pandora Beyond Anything We’ve Seen
Saldaña also starred in multiple Marvel blockbusters as Gamora, appeared in three ‘Star Trek‘ films, and featured in the smash hit ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl‘. Every one of those projects helped build the massive total that now places her at No. 1. Johansson’s own climb had looked unbeatable not long ago.
Last summer, ‘Jurassic World Rebirth‘ pushed Johansson from third place straight to the top, and made her the highest-grossing actor in history, until Saldaña’s ‘Avatar‘ numbers overtook it. Even after losing the top spot, Johansson remains one of Hollywood’s biggest box office stars. Still, Saldaña now leads the all-time rankings, and she has even more chances to expand that lead. James Cameron already has a fourth and fifth Avatar film planned, giving her more opportunities to grow her record.
