Zoe Saldaña eyes Scarlett Johansson's throne after surpassing Samuel L. Jackson on the highest grossing actors' list

Zoe Saldaña’s unprecedented box office success reached a historic peak in late 2025, as she officially surpassed Samuel L. Jackson to become the second-highest-grossing actor of all time. Fueled by her "golden touch" in massive franchises, Saldaña has now amassed a staggering career total of over $14.8 billion.

As 2025 draws to a close, the release of Avatar: Fire and Ash has put Saldaña within striking distance of Johansson’s $15.3 billion record. As the only performer in history to star in four separate $2 billion blockbusters, including the Avatar and Avengers sagas, Saldaña is now laser-focused on the record currently held by her Marvel co-star, Scarlett Johansson.

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Zoe Saldaña claims the #2 all-time spot, setting her sights on Scarlett Johansson’s record

With her films earning over $14 billion worldwide, Zoe Saldaña is now within striking distance of the #1 record-holder, Scarlett Johansson, reaching these massive numbers with far fewer films than her peers.

In 2009, Zoe Saldaña first appeared as Neytiri, a warrior of the Na'vi people. This film remains the highest-grossing movie ever. She returned to the role in Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) and the recent Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025). She is the only actor to star in multiple movies that each earned over $2 billion.

The American actress joined Marvel in 2014 as Gamora in Guardians of the Galaxy, which was a surprise hit with $773 million. She played the green-skinned warrior in five films, including Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 ($863 million) and the massive $2 billion club entries: Avengers: Infinity War (2018) at $2.05 billion and Avengers: Endgame (2019) at $2.79 billion.

One of Saldaña’s most famous reflections is her admission that she sometimes felt "artistically stuck" within the massive franchises that made her famous. In an interview with Women's Wear Daily published on November 2022, the Emilia Pérez star stated:

"I feel that for the last 10 years of my life, I’ve been just stuck... doing these franchises."

Beyond her ticket sales, Saldaña has earned great awards as an atrist. In 2018, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world. For her performance in the musical film Emilia Pérez, she won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, as well as a Golden Globe and a BAFTA Award. During her Oscar acceptance speech, she said:

"It’s about realizing that it’s not about the win. When you learn to let that go, it is about the work day in and day out... you have a deeper appreciation for every experience and every moment that led you here."

Zoe Saldaña's most recent project Avatar: Fire and Ash has shattered records, grossing $760 million worldwide and becoming the fastest film of 2025 to reach this milestone. By crossing the $500 million mark in under a week, it propelled the Avatar saga to become the highest-grossing film trilogy in history, currently exceeding $6 billion in total earnings.

Edited by Suchita Patnaha