Scarlett Johansson has officially become the highest-grossing actor of all time at the worldwide box office, surpassing Samuel L. Jackson.
According to the latest box office numbers (compiled by Box Office Mojo and The Numbers), and after the weekend success of “Jurassic World Rebirth,” Johansson’s cumulative career total has now edged past $15.8 billion globally, with Jackson’s just under that.
It’s a headline that’s already making the rounds across mainstream entertainment outlets, but let’s pause for a moment before we start carving marble statues in her honor, because, frankly, this is a misleading metric.
Yes, Johansson has technically appeared in films that have made more money than those of any other actor in history, but the vast bulk of that total (almost $11 billion) comes from her Marvel output. We’re talking eight films tied to the MCU juggernaut, including “Avengers: Endgame,” “Avengers: Infinity War,” and “Captain America: Civil War.” These aren’t “Scarlett Johansson movies.” These are billion-dollar studio products where Johansson is one of many, many cogs in the machine.
Johansson’s two highest-grossing non-Marvel films, “The Jungle Book” ($968M) and “Sing” ($634M), featured only her voice—she wasn’t physically on screen. In effect, the biggest box office success with Johansson as the true on-screen lead remains Luc Besson’s “Lucy” ($463M).
This isn’t about diminishing Johansson’s talent. She can act. “Under the Skin” remains one of the most daring performances of the 2010s. “Marriage Story” proved her worth. She was divine in “Lost in Translation.” I also can’t overlook her exemplary work in “Match Point,” “Her,” and “Ghost World”
Still, Johansson topping the highest earner list a reflection of where the industry’s been for the last 15 years. Marvel was the box office. That’s also why Jackson is #2. If you were lucky enough to get cast in the MCU before it became a bloated relic of itself, congratulations—you’re now part of Hollywood royalty, by default.