Zoe Saldaña has finally passed Scarlett Johansson as the highest-grossing actor of all time, but neither of the two leads the list when it comes to hefty paychecks.
More on that later. Saldaña is currently the highest-grossing actor of all time with a worldwide total of a whopping $15,470,006,200 from 33 films. Her top-grossing film is James Cameron’s Avatar, with almost $3 billion.
On the other hand, Johansson previously held the record with a worldwide total of $15,401,507,141, her highest-grossing film being Avengers: Endgame with $2.7 billion in the bank.
Saldaña recently took to Instagram to express her gratitude for the impressive feat, crediting the “incredible franchises” she has been a part of and the collaborators for her victory. She said,
To every director who placed their trust in me, thank you. JJ Abrams, Joe and Anthony Russo, James Gunn, and most importantly, thank you James Cameron for believing my potential.
Watch Saldaña’s video below:
While this is no small achievement, it does raise the question, why is Saldaña the highest-grossing actor but not the highest-paid? There’s one very obvious answer to that.
Why Zoe Saldaña and Scarlett Johansson Aren’t the Highest Paid
As Zoe Saldaña herself stated in the video, her achievement was possible due to the multiple franchises she has been a part of. Whether it’s the Marvel Cinematic Universe or Star Trek, Saldaña may have been an important part of the films, but was she the leading actor?
In most of these blockbusters, Saldaña wasn’t the primary box office draw. Take the MCU, for example. Gamora was a key character, but the franchise revolved around ensemble storytelling with actors like Robert Downey Jr leading the conversation. The same goes for Star Trek, where audiences were drawn to theaters by the promise of a great cast and even better storytelling.
As for Avatar, Saldaña had to share her spotlight with Sam Worthington. Moreover, people flocked to theaters to watch James Cameron’s vision come to life. While important, Saldaña’s Neytiri wasn’t the primary attraction. In such cases, studios are usually more willing to distribute massive paychecks for actors who are marketed as the face of the franchise.
In Scarlett Johansson’s case, Black Widow was a part of something much greater. Yes, she was a central figure, but the MCU had already cemented its collective dominance over her solo star power.
One may argue that she was the lead in Jurassic World Rebirth, a film that made well over $800 million at the box office. However, again, the film’s success was largely due to the franchise’s established brand value rather than Johansson alone, though the latter may have helped.
Comparing Zoe Saldaña & Scarlett Johansson’s Leading Roles
The last time we saw Zoe Saldaña as a solo lead was in 2024, when she starred in The Absence of Eden as Esmee. The film followed the story of her character, who had fled to the United States after an accident in her homeland in hopes of sanctuary.
According to The Numbers, the film made merely $37,265 at the box office, a stark contrast to what Saldaña is used to. She also served as a co-lead in Emilia Pérez, which made $7,081,854 at the box office.
Check out a few box office performances of films where Saldaña took on a leading role:
| Title | Release Date | Box Office | Rotten Tomatoes |
| Nina | Apr 22, 2016 | $22,584 | 2% |
| Infinitely Polar Bear | Jun 19, 2015 | $2,130,086 | 83% |
| The Words | Sep 7, 2012 | $16,369,708 | 24% |
| Columbiana | Aug 26, 2011 | $72,295,262 | 29% |
Similarly, for Johansson (via The Numbers and Box Office Mojo),
| Title | Release Date | Box Office | Rotten Tomatoes |
| Fly Me to the Moon | Jul 12, 2024 | $38,198,351 | 66% |
| My Mother’s Wedding | 8 August 2025 | $1,018,885 | 41% |
| Marriage Story | Dec 6, 2019 | $321,463 | 95% |
| Rough Night | Jun 16, 2017 | $46,844,357 | 45% |
While Johansson’s Black Widow made $379,751,131, it still falls under the Marvel Cinematic Universe banner.
So, while the two actresses dominate the all-time box office charts, being the highest-grossing actor doesn’t always translate into being the highest-paid. What do you think of the stark difference? Let us know in the comments section below!
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