Outline:
A New Milestone for Zoe Saldaña
Zoe Saldaña has officially become the highest-grossing actor of all time, thanks to the massive success of Avatar: Fire and Ash. This achievement marks a significant moment in her career, which has been defined by her roles in some of the most successful films in history.
A Career Defined by Success
Saldaña’s journey to this milestone includes starring in three of the highest-grossing films ever made:
- Avatar (2009)
- Avengers: Endgame (2019)
- Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)
She is also the first actress to appear in four movies that generated more than $2 billion globally, including 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War.
As of 2024, Saldaña’s films had earned more than $14 billion at the global box office. However, with Avatar: Fire and Ash earning $1.23 billion since its December 2025 release, her total has climbed to $15.47 billion. This impressive figure has pushed her past Marvel co-stars Scarlett Johansson and Samuel L. Jackson to claim the top spot as the Highest-Grossing Actor of All Time.
Beyond Avatar and her Marvel appearances as Gamora (including three Guardians of the Galaxy films), Saldaña portrayed Nyota Uhura in the Star Trek trilogy, which generated over $1 billion worldwide.
A Heartfelt Response
On Tuesday evening, Saldaña posted a heartfelt video on her Instagram expressing gratitude for the milestone. In the video, she shared her sincere appreciation for the extraordinary journey that led her to this achievement.
“I just want to express my sincerest gratitude for the extraordinary journey that has led me to become the highest-grossing film actor of all time today,” she said, smiling widely. “An achievement made possible entirely, entirely by the incredible franchises and the collaborators that I have been fortunate enough to be a part of.”
She thanked the directors who believed in her — Star Trek helmer J.J. Abrams, Avengers directors Joe and Anthony Russo, and Guardians filmmaker James Gunn. Most importantly, she thanked Avatar’s James Cameron “for believing my potential, for seeing something in me that I have not always seen in myself.”
Saldaña reserved her final message for fans worldwide. “Your unwavering support, passion and loyalty are the true foundation of this milestone. None of this exists without you showing up time and time again with open hearts and enthusiasm.” She concluded with a hopeful note, saying, “This accomplishment belongs to all of us, and I’m deeply grateful and profoundly humbled. And may the next record breaker be another woman!”
A Banner Year for Zoe
Saldaña had a remarkable 2025: In March, she won the best supporting actress Oscar for her show-stopping performance in Emilia Pérez, making history as the first Dominican American to win an Academy Award. The audacious musical earned Saldaña a clean sweep of awards season accolades, including a SAG award, BAFTA award, Golden Globe, and Critics Choice award.
“It feels really good,” Saldaña recently said about her new “Oscar winner” prefix. “My husband is so funny. He has this joke; he goes, ‘Z, you can’t do anything right now without people announcing you as ‘Academy Award winner.’’ You can’t rob a bank, because it’ll be like, “Academy Award winner…”‘ I’m like, ‘Oh my God.’ But it’s true. I’m honored. I’m very happy. I’m also like, ‘OK, let’s continue to work.’”
The Technology Behind Zoe’s Blue Warrior
In Avatar: Fire and Ash, Saldaña reprises her role as Na’vi warrior Neytiri, whose relationship with human soldier-turned-Na’vi leader Jake Sully (played by Sam Worthington) anchors the franchise’s story. To transform the Afro-Latina actress into the blue-skinned, 8-foot-tall humanoid, the film utilizes innovative performance capture technology pioneered by James Cameron.
“The reason why this world is so real to so many people is because the acting was the most important element for Jim,” Saldaña explained about director James Cameron (who she calls Jim). “Performance capture gives the actor the ability not to have to rely so much on all the things that can sometimes be very distracting in regular live-action.”
“Performance capture gives you the gift of connection and putting all of your heart and all of your energy into that scene, into that moment.”
Future Records Ahead
Saldaña is expected to return for Avatar 4 (slated for December 2029) and Avatar 5 (planned to debut December 2031) — so her box office reign is far from over. With her continued success and upcoming projects, it seems that Zoe Saldaña is only just beginning to break records.