Old School. Biblically Independent.
By Kayleigh Donaldson | Celebrity | January 13, 2026
Zoe Saldaña is in a lot of franchises. As a member of both the Na’vi tribe and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, she has ensured that she’ll be seen by as many people as possible, even if it means being a green or blue alien. It’s paid off marvellously, and this month, she officially became the highest-grossing actor of all time.
Avatar: Fire and Ash, the third instalment in James Cameron’s hyper-successful sci-fi epic, is currently the third highest-grossing film of 2025. Its worldwide intake of over $1.23 billion, as of the writing of this piece, means that Saldaña’s films have amassed a combined $15.47 billion, according to Variety. She’s the star of the three highest-grossing movies ever — the first two Avatar films and Avengers: Endgame — and she’s also the first actress to appear in four movies that have generated more than $2 billion globally, with the addition of Avengers: Infinity War. If Cameron CGIs her into Titanic, she can break even more records.
Saldaña has been savvy in her career, shoring up her commercial prowess through these big IPs. She’s got the MCU, Avatar, Star Trek, and a lead role in a Taylor Sheridan series, Lioness. She won an Oscar last year for Emilia Perez, a movie that doesn’t exist but still made her the first Dominican American to win an Academy Award. She also does a lot of ads for T-Mobile, presumably for their artistic genius.
The concept of the A-List movie star in the franchise age has been much-debated. Hollywood frequently laments the lack of classic leading icons who can guarantee a commercial hit through their name alone. Being in a big franchise doesn’t guarantee you’ll be able to make a successful movie on your own, as many a Chris has proven, but the safety net a franchise paycheque offers is much sought after. For someone like Zoe Saldaña, a woman of colour in an industry where opportunities on a big scale are rarer and more high stakes, being the box office queen is historic. But are people going to see Avatar for her? Probably not. And it is telling that a Dominican American actress’s biggest roles are ones where she doesn’t get to be a Latina woman but an alien with green or blue skin. But hey, that’s her payday and her work ethic, so good for her. Nobody can take that away from her.
Imagine if Cameron gets to keep making Avatar sequels. It’d be near-impossible to topple Saldaña’s record, especially if she reappears in the MCU, which is bringing back seemingly everyone. in its new phase. Scarlett Johansson, you’ll need to do more of those dinosaur films to keep up.
