Scarlett Johansson's previous box office record has been consigned to the flames (and the ashes). The Black Widow actress, who once held the title of highest-grossing actor of all time, has been overshadowed by Avatar: Fire and Ash actress Zoe Saldaña, thanks to the James Cameron trilogy. Indeed, the latest installment in the Avatar series—which was nominated for Cinematic and Box Office Achievement at the 2026 Golden Globes—has reached $1.23 billion at the worldwide box office as of Jan. 12, according to Box Office Mojo. This brings the total gross of all movies starring Zoe to $16.8 billion, per Screen Rant. These films include Star Trek, Avengers: End Game, and Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.
Scarlett previously held the record at $16.4 billion, while the rest of the top five is filled out by their Marvel comrades Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Downey Jr., and Chris Pratt. While Avatar: Fire and Ash ultimately lost the Golden Globe to Michael B. Jordan and Ryan Coogler's film Sinners at the ceremony—hosted by Nikki Glaser on Jan. 11—Zoe triumphed at last year's event, taking home the prize for Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture. At the time, she praised her costars Selena Gomez and Karla Sofía Gascón, as well as the women she worked alongside to make Emilia Pérez.
"This is a first time for me, and I'm just so blessed that I'm sharing this moment with Selena and Karla and [director] Jacques [Audiard] and all of my fellow nominees," Zoe said during her acceptance speech. "I'm in awe of you, your strength, your complexity, your undeniable talent."
The Guardians of the Galaxy star—mom to twins Cy Aridio and Bowie Ezio, aged 11, and son Zen Anton, aged 9, with husband Marco Perego—added, "I know that it is a competition, but all that I have witnessed is just us showing up for each other and celebrating each other, and it’s just so beautiful." Zoe also took a moment to speak directly to her fellow nominees, including Ariana Grande and Margaret Qualley.
"You're all magic," she continued. "And I experienced this kind of magic on the set of Emilia Pérez, and it's thanks to you. Thank you, merci beaucoup, Jacques Audiard."
