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While most actors struggle to make a dent at the box office, Zoe Saldana has made a remarkable record. The Gamora star is part of four of the six highest-grossing movies of all time. The four movies featuring her have all grossed $2 billion or more.
Recent movie trends have made franchise actors popular. Ensuring enough screen exposure, franchise actors may become part of blockbuster releases. Popular and charismatic actors like Harrison Ford (of Indiana Jones and Star Wars fame) and Ian McKellen (of Lord of the Rings and X-Men fame) have enjoyed fan support for a long time.
Marvel and DC movies are popularizing franchise movies and series. This sees some actors essaying specific roles over many releases. However, very few actors get the opportunity to enact different characters in different franchises. Zoe Saldana is one such actor.
How did Zoe Saldana set the record?
Zoe Saldana plays two different roles in two separate franchises. In the Avengers group, she plays Gamora in the Guardians of the Galaxy films. She also plays Neytiri, one of the lead characters in Avatar and Avatar 2, set to feature in future sequels of the franchise.
The four Zoe Saldana-starrers grossing $2 billion or more include Avatar, Avatar: The Way of Water, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.
Speaking in terms of exact figures, Avengers: Infinity War had earnings of $2.04 billion, whereas Avengers: Endgame earned $2.7 billion. The first Avatar movie grossed $2.92 billion, and while Avatar 2 has already crossed $2 billion, the actual amount is yet to be released.
Robert Downey Jr., Samuel Jackson, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, and Chris Pratt are some of the other popular faces seen in Marvel films grossing more than $2 billion at the box office. Meanwhile, Avatar and Avatar 2 have featured Sam Worthington, Stephen Lang, and Sigourney Weaver.
However, it is only Saldana who has enjoyed the spotlight in both the franchises.
Is Zoe Saldana the top-grossing actor?
As regards personal earnings among franchise actors, Robert Downey Jr. is at the second spot with $14.39 billion, followed by Samuel Jackson with $14.36 billion. Scarlett Johansson is the highest earner with $14.51 billion.
Zoe Saldana sits comfortably in fourth place, earning $12.5 billion.
Both Scarlett Johansson and Robert Downey Jr. are now out of the Marvel franchise, owing to their characters' deaths. Samuel may have a couple of more movies to go. The Gamora star has quite a few more sequels to play in MCU.
The Avatar franchise will also come up with sequels 3, 4, 5, and 6, with Saldana as Neytiri visible in most of them. This would push her personal income higher.
With the current trend in shows, Saldana may end up being the highest earner in Hollywood. If the upcoming sequels are as profitable as their predecessors, along with other shows she is working on, Saldana will break her own record.
