Zoe Saldaña is standing on the kind of cinematic mountain peak most people only see through binoculars. The Dominican descent star is now officially the second-highest-grossing actor of all time, with her films earning about $15 billion worldwide, according to USA Today. That puts her just a breath behind Scarlett Johansson, who currently leads with roughly $15.4 billion. With “Avatar: Fire and Ash” still pulling in crowds around the globe, that gap is shrinking fast, and Hollywood is watching in real time.
This is not just a numbers game. It is a story about how one actor quietly became the backbone of two of the biggest franchises in movie history while also redefining what global stardom looks like.
The math behind the magic
Box office rankings can sound like spreadsheet trivia, but this race carries serious weight. Saldaña has now passed Samuel L. Jackson, who held the second spot for years thanks to his Marvel, Star Wars, and Jurassic Park runs. Surpassing him is not just impressive; it is symbolic. Jackson helped build the blockbuster era. Saldaña has helped dominate it.
Her current total sits at approximately $15 billion, driven largely by her starring roles in Avatar and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The woman has basically been printing billion-dollar receipts in blue paint and green face makeup for over a decade.
Scarlett Johansson holds the top spot right now, boosted by her recent lead role in “Jurassic World: Rebirth,” which, according to Men’s Journal, debuted with a massive $318 million global opening. That surge pushed Johansson just ahead, but the margin is thin enough to feel like a movie trailer cliffhanger.
Avatar keeps pushing her higher
The biggest engine behind Saldaña’s latest surge is “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” the newest chapter in James Cameron’s blockbuster universe. The film opened with $88 million domestically and raced past $760 million worldwide, continuing the franchise’s tradition of unstoppable global legs. Avatar movies are not sprinters. They are marathon runners that just keep going and going, pulling in audiences from every corner of the planet.
Because Saldaña has been there from the very beginning as Neytiri, every Avatar ticket sold is another brick added to her box office throne. With “Fire and Ash” still performing well, her climb toward number one is not theoretical. It is happening in real time, one IMAX screening at a time.
A record already hers
Even before this current race, Saldaña had already secured a piece of film history that no one else can claim. In 2023, she became the first actor ever to have four movies cross the $1 billion mark worldwide. That list reads like a greatest hits album of modern blockbusters.
There is 2009’s “Avatar,” the film that changed what a blockbuster could look like. There is “Avengers: Endgame” from 2019, the Marvel juggernaut that closed out a decade of superhero storytelling. There is “Avengers: Infinity War” from 2018, the dark and daring lead-in to “Endgame.” And there is “Avatar: The Way of Water,” which crossed $2 billion worldwide over the January 20 to 22 weekend.
Four billion-dollar films are not just impressive. It is almost absurd. Most actors would be thrilled to have one. Saldaña has four, and more on the way.
The power of Neytiri and Gamora
Part of what makes Saldaña’s rise so fascinating is that she did not get here by playing traditional movie star roles. She built her empire through characters that are often hidden under layers of visual effects, yet somehow still emotionally unforgettable.
As Neytiri in Avatar, she brought heart, ferocity, and soul to a digital world that could have easily felt cold. As Gamora in “Guardians of the Galaxy” and the wider Marvel Cinematic Universe, she became one of the franchise’s most complex and beloved figures, a warrior with both steel and softness.
These roles gave her global reach. Kids in Tokyo, teens in São Paulo, and families in Paris all know her characters. That is how you rack up billions. You become part of pop culture everywhere.
Seeing Saldaña hover so close to the number one spot is not just about bragging rights. It is about representation, longevity, and the shifting face of Hollywood. A Dominican descent actress leading the all-time box office chart would have sounded impossible not that long ago. Now it feels almost inevitable.
This race between Saldaña and Johansson is one of the closest statistical showdowns Hollywood has ever seen. One new blockbuster, one strong international run, and the crown could change hands. With more Avatar films on the horizon and Saldaña still deeply tied to billion-dollar franchises, the odds are leaning in her direction.
The box office queen is not slowing down. She is simply gathering momentum, and Hollywood history is about to feel it.