By Sreeju Sudhakaran
Scarlett Johansson’s new film Jurassic World Rebirth released in theatres on June 4, 2025 and has taken off to a flying start at the box office. According to reports, the Gareth Edwards-directed dinosaur thriller film, made on a budget of USD 180 million, has already grossed USD 318 million globally. As the seventh instalment in the Jurassic Park franchise races toward blockbuster status, it has also supposedly created a special record for its lead star. ‘Jurassic World Rebirth’ Movie Review: Thrills Aplenty in Scarlett Johansson’s Dino Adventure, but Spark Has Long Gone Fossilised! Several reports on social media now claim that Scarlett Johansson has become the highest-grossing actor of all time, regardless of gender, surpassing Samuel L Jackson, who previously held the record, and Robert Downey Jr, if you only consider lead stars. Top 10 Highest-Grossing Lead Actors at the Global Box Office Let’s look at the 10 highest grossing stars at the box office (Sourced from The-Numbers.com) 1. Scarlett Johansson – USD 14.614 billion- 36 movies 2. Samuel L Jackson – USD 14.605 billion- 71 movies 3. Robert Downey Jr – USD 14.315 billion – 45 movies 4. Zoe Saldana – USD 14.233 billion – 33 movies 5. Chris Pratt – USD 14.127 billion – 26 movies 6. Tom Cruise – USD 12.643 billion – 45 movies 7. Chris Hemsworth – USD 12.189 billion – 28 movies 8. Vin Diesel – USD 11.993 billion – 28 movies 9. Dwayne Johnson – USD 11.445 billion- 39 movies 10. Chris Evans- USD 11.424 billion – 29 movies The Marvel Factor Looking at the above list, eight out of the ten actors have played lead roles in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), which is not only the highest-grossing franchise of all time but also has the most films under its belt. Each of these actors (except Zoe Saldana) has Avengers: Endgame as their highest-grossing film, with global earnings of USD 2.717 billion. Saldana, who plays Gamora in the MCU, tops her box office record with James Cameron’s Avatar, which grossed USD 2.923 billion worldwide. Scarlett Johansson in Iron Man 2 Robert Downey Jr, Samuel L Jackson, and Scarlett Johansson rank so highly largely due to their early and continued involvement in the MCU. Downey Jr led the very first MCU film, Iron Man (2008), which also featured Jackson in a cameo. Iron Man 2 (2010), the third MCU instalment, had all three actors – Downey Jr in the lead, and Jackson and Johansson (in her MCU debut) in major supporting roles. All three went on to appear in all four Avengers films from The Avengers (2012) to Avengers: Endgame (2019), each among the franchise’s biggest hits. From ‘Jurassic Park’ to ‘Jurassic World Rebirth’, Ranking All Dino Movies in Franchise From Worst to Best. Tom Cruise and Dwayne Johnson Stand Apart… Only two actors in the top 10 list – Tom Cruise and Dwayne Johnson – have no direct connection to the MCU (at least not yet). Johnson did star in a superhero film for DC Studios (Black Adam), though it underperformed commercially. Dwayne Johnson in Furious 7 His box office success stems largely from the Fast & Furious franchise, with Furious 7 (USD 1.46 billion) topping his list. Other entries in his top 10 highest grossers include The Fate of the Furious, Fast & Furious 6, Hobbs & Shaw, Fast X, and Fast Five. Tom Cruise: Highest-Grossing Lead Star Without Ensemble Support? Most actors on the list owe a significant chunk of their box office success to ensemble-driven franchise films. Tom Cruise stands out in that regard; all his top-grossing 10 films feature him as the undisputed lead. Tom Cruise in Top Gun: Maverick His highest-grossing film is Top Gun: Maverick (USD 1.454 billion), followed by seven Mission: Impossible titles, and two non-franchise entries – War of the Worlds and The Last Samurai. The Late Stan Lee: The Ultimate Box Office Champion? If you remove the “lead star” criteria, the late comic book legend Stan Lee tops the list of the highest-grossing actors of all time. His many cameo appearances across Marvel films until his passing helped him amass an unmatched box office total, even posthumously, he appeared in the biggest of them all: Avengers: Endgame. List of Highest Grossing Actors 1. Stan Lee – USD 30.523 billion 2. Samuel L Jackson – USD 28.343 billion 3. John Ratzenberger – USD 18.474 billion 4. Frank Welker – USD 17.480 billion 5. Alan Tudyk – USD 16.387 billion 6. Robert Downey Jr – USD 16.244 billion 7. Chris Pratt – USD 15.860 billion 8. Bob Bergen – USD 15.750 billion 9. Scarlett Johansson – USD 15.643 billion 10. Zoe Saldana – USD 15.551 billlion Whether Johansson officially clinches the title of highest-grossing actor may depend on how you slice the data – lead roles versus all appearances – but there’s no denying the sheer magnitude of her box office pull. As Jurassic World Rebirth continues to roar at cinemas, she’s not just breaking records – she’s redefining what it means to be a bankable star in Hollywood. Also all hail Tom Cruise!