Zoe Saldaña Dethrones Scarlett Johansson: Colin Jost Reacts to the $16.9B Shift

It's a new era for Hollywood's record books. The long-standing reign of Scarlett Johansson as the highest-grossing actress of all time has officially ended. As of January 19, 2026, fellow Marvel alum Zoe Saldaña has taken the crown, thanks to a staggering box office run that spans multiple galaxies and blue-skinned civilizations.

Zoe Saldaña Scarlett Johansson Box Office Battle Breakdown

According to the latest industry data, Zoe Saldaña's films have earned a massive $16,946,884,151 globally. This incredible figure was bolstered by the recent success of Avatar: Fire and Ash. Meanwhile, Scarlett Johansson holds the runner-up spot with a still-impressive $16,435,483,784. While both actresses owe much of their success to the MCU, Saldaña's triple-threat presence in Avatar and Star Trek gave her the winning edge.

The SNL Joke That Went Viral

The news didn't go unnoticed on Saturday Night Live. During the January 17 Weekend Update, Colin Jost found himself reading a cue card about his wife's displacement from the top spot. The segment featured a hilarious graphic where adding Jost's own box office earnings—roughly $488 million—actually caused Johansson's total to drop on screen. "It went down?!" Jost exclaimed, bursting into laughter as he became the punchline of yet another career-related prank.