It’s a woman’s world at the box office as “Avengers” star Scarlett Johansson has become the top-grossing star according to total global ticket sales. The list, recently released by The Numbers, is not surprisingly packed with actors who are best known for playing superheroes and other varieties of world saviors. Of the 20 actors listed, 14 have recurring roles in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and other frequent franchises include “Fast & Furious,” “Jurassic World,” “Mission Impossible,” and “Star Trek.”
While action-adventure tentpoles may bolster these actors’ box office figures, many of these highest-grossing actors have also proven their chops with award-winning performances. Twelve of the actors on the list have been nominated for at least one Academy Award.
This year, Johansson vaulted ahead of fellow Marvel stars Samuel L. Jackson, Chris Pratt and Robert Downey Jr., with 36 movies that contributed to her total.
Here are the top-grossing stars in leading roles according to worldwide box office.
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Scarlett Johansson
Image Credit: ©Walt Disney Co./Courtesy Everett Collection Top grossing film: “Avengers Endgame”
Other notable titles: “The Avengers,” “Black Widow,” “Iron Man 2,” “Captain America: Civil War,” “Jojo Rabbit,” “Lucy,” “Sing”
Scarlett Johansson has been appearing in movies since her teenaged years in the early 1990s. Today, she is best known for playing superhero Black Widow in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Her character has appeared in eight MCU films, including all four “Avengers” movies to date. She has also been nominated for two Academy Awards: one for Best Actress in “Marriage Story” and one for Best Supporting Actress in “Jojo Rabbit,” both released in 2019.
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Samuel L. Jackson
Image Credit: ©Walt Disney Co./Courtesy Evere Top grossing film: “Avengers Endgame”
Other notable titles: “Pulp Fiction,” “The Avengers,” “Spider-Man: Far From Home,” “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” “Jurassic Park,” “Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace.”
Samuel L. Jackson’s illustrious filmography includes installments of some of the highest grossing franchises of all time. He has played Nick Fury in 11 films across the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but also appeared as Mace Windu in all three “Star Wars” prequels and played a pivotal role in the first “Jurassic Park.” He is perhaps most celebrated, however, for his Oscar nominated performance as Jules Winnfield in Quentin Tarantino’s “Pulp Fiction.”
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Robert Downey Jr.
Image Credit: ©Walt Disney Co./courtesy Everett / Everett Collection Top grossing film: “Avengers Endgame”
Other notable titles: “Iron Man,” “Avengers: Infinity War,” “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” “Captain America: Civil War,” “Oppenheimer,” “Chaplin,” “Sherlock Holmes”
Robert Downey Jr made one of the most iconic comebacks in Hollywood history when he kicked off the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the titular superhero in 2008’s “Iron Man.” He went on to reprise the role across ten films in the franchise before triumphantly bidding farewell in “Avengers: Endgame.” Afterwards, he won his first Oscar for playing antagonist Lewis Strauss in “Oppenheimer.” Next year, he will return to the MCU as villain Dr. Victor Von Doom in “Avengers: Doomsday.”
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Zoe Saldaña
Image Credit: Netflix Top grossing film: “Avatar”
Other notable titles: “Avengers: Endgame,” “Avengers: Infinity War,” “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Avatar,” “Avatar: Way of the Water” “Star Trek,” “Emilia Pérez”
Zoe Saldaña’s filmography includes some of the top-grossing films of all time. She plays Neytiri in both of James Cameron’s “Avatar” movies, and Gamora in five different Marvel films. She has also appeared in three “Star Trek” films and won her first Academy Award for her performance in last year’s “Emilia Pérez.”
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Chris Pratt
Image Credit: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection Top grossing film: “Avengers: Endgame”
Other notable titles: “Avengers: Infinity War,” “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Jurassic World,” “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom,” “The Super Mario Bros Movie,” “The Lego Movie”
Once known as a comedic TV actor, Chris Pratt became an action movie star in 2014 when he starred in both “Jurassic World” and “Guardians of the Galaxy.” That same year, he also voiced the lead character in “The Lego Movie,” starting a successful run as a voice actor in additional movies such as “The Super Mario Bros Movie,” “The Garfield Movie” and “Onward.”
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Tom Cruise
Image Credit: ©Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection Top grossing film: “Top Gun: Maverick”
Other notable titles: “Mission Impossible: Fallout,” “Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning,” “Top Gun,” “Jerry Maguire,” “Born on the Fourth of July”
One of the few actors to make this list who has yet to play a superhero, Tom Cruise is famous for doing his own stunts in action movies like “Mission Impossible” and “Top Gun.” His range, however, exceeds the action genre, as he’s been nominated for three Academy Awards for comedic and dramatic performances in “Magnolia,” “Jerry Maguire,” and “Born on the Fourth of July.”
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Chris Hemsworth
Image Credit: Netflix / Courtesy Everett Collection Top grossing film: “Avengers: Endgame”
Other notable titles: “Avengers: Infinity War,” “The Avengers,” “Thor: Love & Thunder,” “Thor: Ragnarok,” “Thor,” “Star Trek,” “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” “Extraction”
Chris Hemsworth holds the unique record of having starred as the titular character of four Marvel movies, as there have been four “Thor” films to date. He has also appeared in all four “Avengers” movies and will appear in “Avengers: Doomsday” next year. He has also played characters in franchises as diverse as “Men in Black,” “Star Trek,” “Mad Max,” and “Extraction.”
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Vin Diesel
Top grossing film: “Avengers: Endgame”
Other notable titles: “Avengers: Infinity War,” “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “The Fast & The Furious,” “Furious 7,” “Fast Five,” “Thor: Love & Thunder,” “The Iron Giant”
Best known for playing street-racer-turned-world-savior Dominic Toretto in the “Fast & Furious” franchise, Vin Diesel’s box office value is further bolstered by his recurring voice performance as Groot in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He began acting in the 1990s, first starring in projects he wrote and directed himself before landing a small part in “Saving Private Ryan” and later voicing the eponymous robot in “The Iron Giant.”
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Dwayne Johnson
Image Credit: Sebastian Reuter/Getty Images Top grossing film: “Furious 7”
Other notable titles: “Fast Five,” “Fast & Furious 6,” “Moana,” “Moana 2,” “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle,” “Red One,” “Black Adam”
A former WWE star, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has had immense success on the big screen, notably starring as special agent Luke Hobbs in the “Fast & Furious” franchise, Maui in both “Moana” movies, and Dr. Smolder Bravestone in “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” and “Jumanji: The Next Level.” He will take a more dramatic turn playing Mark Kerr in Benny Safdie’s wrestling biopic “The Smashing Machine.”
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Chris Evans
Image Credit: ©Walt Disney Co./courtesy Everett / Everett Collection Top grossing film: “Avengers: Endgame”
Other notable titles: “Avengers: Infinity War,” “The Avengers,” “Captain America: The First Avengers,” “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” “Knives Out,” “Materialists”
Chris Evans is best known for leading the Avengers as Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He also played the Human Torch in “Fantastic Four” and “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer,” and reprised the fiery role in “Deadpool & Wolverine” last year. Outside of the superhero genre, he’s appeared in prestigious films such as Bong Joon Ho’s “Snowpiercer,” Rian Johnson’s “Knives Out” and Celine Song’s “Materialists.”
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Bradley Cooper
Image Credit: NDZ/STAR MAX/IPx Top grossing film: “Avengers: Endgame”
Other notable titles: “Avengers: Infinity War,” “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2,” “Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3,” “American Sniper,” “The Hangover”
Though the bulk of Bradley Cooper’s box office earnings come from his role as Rocket Racoon in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he has roots in comedy, starring in hilarious hits like “Wedding Crashers” and “The Hangover” trilogy. More recently, though, he’s starred in several awards contending films, having earned Oscar nominations for his performances in “Silver Linings Playbook,” “American Hustle,” “American Sniper,” “A Star Is Born” and “Maestro.”
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Tom Hanks
Image Credit: Austin Hargrave/NBC Top grossing film: “Toy Story 4”
Other notable titles: “Toy Story,” “Toy Story 2,” “Toy Story 3,” “The Da Vinci Code,” “Saving Private Ryan,” “Forrest Gump”
Tom Hanks has humble roots; early entries in his filmography include crowd-pleasing comedies like “Bachelor Party,” “The Money Pit,” and “Splash.” However, he has evolved to be one of the most revered actors of his generation. He has been nominated for six Academy Awards, winning two for his lead performances in “Philadelphia” and “Forrest Gump.” His greatest box office achievements, however, come from his contributions to the “Toy Story” franchise, where he’s voiced the protagonist cowboy-doll Woody for four films and counting.
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Johnny Depp
Image Credit: Getty Images Top grossing film: “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest”
Other notable titles: “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl,” “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End,” “Alice In Wonderland,” “Rango”
Known for his eccentric antiheroes, Johnny Depp is most associated with playing Captain Jack Sparrow in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise. He’s also starred in several creatively fruitful collaborations with director Tim Burton, including “Edward Scissorhands,” “Ed Wood” and both “Alice in Wonderland” adaptations. He’s also made an impact on animation with starring roles in “Rango” and “The Corpse Bride,” while his box office is further boosted by his role as Grindelwald in two “Fantastic Beast” movies.
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Tom Holland
Image Credit: ©Sony Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection Top grossing film: “Avengers: Endgame”
Other notable titles: “Avengers: Infinity War,” “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” “Spider-Man: Far From Home,” “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” “Captain America: Civil War”
The youngest star to crack this list, 29-year-old Tom Holland is best known for playing Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He made his debut as the masked webslinger in 2016’s “Captain America: Civil War” before appearing in two “Avengers” movies and three standalone Spidey films. His other hits include “Uncharted,” “The Lost City of Z” and “Onward,” and he is lined up to appear in Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey.”
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Mark Ruffalo
Image Credit: ©Walt Disney Co./courtesy Everett / Everett Collection Top grossing film: “Avengers: Endgame”
Other notable titles: “Avengers: Infinity War,” “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” “The Avengers,” “Thor: Ragnarok,” “Poor Things,” “Spotlight,” “Now You See Me”
When he’s not transforming from Bruce Banner into the Incredible Hulk in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Mark Ruffalo is turning in Oscar-nominated performances in movies like “The Kids Are Alright,” “Foxcatcher,” “Spotlight” and “Poor Things.” He also knows how to make an audience laugh, playing lighter roles in comedies like “Date Night,” “Just Like Heaven” and “Now You See Me.”
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Emma Watson
Image Credit: Courtesy of Disney Top grossing film: “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2”
Other notable titles: “Beauty and the Beast,” “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1,” “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince”
Emma Watson became a household name at 11 years old when she starred as Hermione Granger in “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.” She would reprise her role as Hermione in the subsequent seven Potter films across the next ten years. Her second most iconic and lucrative role is Belle from Disney’s 2017 live-action remake of “The Beauty and the Beast.”
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Will Smith
Image Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros Top grossing film: “Aladdin”
Other notable titles: “Bad Boys,” “Independence Day,” “I Am Legend,” “Suicide Squad,” “The Pursuit of Happyness,” “Ali,” “King Richard”
West Philadelphia born-and-raised, Will Smith is far more than just the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. On the big screen, he has starred in blockbusters as diverse as “Independence Day,” “I Am Legend,” “The Pursuit of Happyness,” “Ali,” and “Suicide Squad.” He won an Academy Award for his performance in 2021’s “King Richard” and his most lucrative franchise is “Bad Boys,” where he’s played detective Mike Lowrey four times. His best performing standalone film, however, is 2019’s “Aladdin,” where he played the Genie.
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Don Cheadle
Image Credit: Courtesy of Marvel Top grossing film: “Avengers: Endgame”
Other notable titles: “Avengers: Infinity War,” “Captain America: Civil War,” “Iron Man 3,” “Iron Man 2,” “Hotel Rwanda,” “Ocean’s Eleven,” “Crash”
Since 2010, Don Cheadle has played James Rhodes (a.k.a. War Machine) in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In addition to appearing in “Iron Man” and “Avengers” movies, he also starred in all three “Ocean’s” films and won an Oscar for his portrayal of Paul Rusesabagina in 2005’s “Hotel Rwanda.”
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Dave Bautista
Image Credit: Getty Images Top grossing film: “Avengers: Endgame”
Other notable titles: “Avengers: Infinity War,” “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol 2,” “Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol 3,” “Thor: Love & Thunder,” “Dune”
Dave Bautista plays Drax The Destroyer in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, appearing in all three “Guardians of the Galaxy” films and both “Avengers: Endgame” and “Avengers: Infinity War.” He also plays Glossu Rabban in “Dune” and “Dune: Part Two,” and appeared in both “Spectre” and “Blade Runner: 2049.”
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Jeremy Renner
Image Credit: ©Disney+/Courtesy Everett Collection Top grossing film: “Avengers: Endgame”
Other notable titles: “The Avengers,” “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” “Captain America: Civil War,” “Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation,” “Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol”
Jeremy Renner has recurring roles in both the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the “Mission Impossible” franchise. He has also turned in more dramatic performances in films like “American Hustle,” “Arrival,” “The Town,” and “The Hurt Locker,” the latter two earning him Academy Award nominations.
