Hollywood has a new reigning box office champion—and she’s stomping her way to the top with the help of some very familiar dinosaurs.
Scarlett Johansson, once best known for her role as Black Widow in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, has just become the highest-grossing lead actor in global box office history. The milestone comes in the wake of a massive opening for Jurassic World: Rebirth, which sees Johansson step into the franchise once headlined by Chris Pratt.
The action-packed reboot has raked in a colossal $318 million globally in its first six days, making it the second-biggest worldwide debut of 2025—just behind the Chinese animated hit Ne Zha 2. Johansson stars as Zora Bennett, a hardened ex-military operative sent to a lawless island still ruled by dinosaurs after the collapse of the Jurassic World theme parks.
“This role was a departure from everything I’ve done before,” Johansson said at the film’s London premiere. “But I loved the idea of exploring human survival in a world where nature has completely taken back control.”
According to industry tracker The Numbers, the film’s success pushes Johansson’s total career earnings at the box office to $14.8 billion, narrowly overtaking Samuel L. Jackson ($14.6B) and Robert Downey Jr. ($14.2B). Notably, over half of Johansson’s haul—approximately $8.7 billion—comes from her roles in the Avengers films and Captain America: Civil War.
The box office figures only count films where the actor held a lead or lead ensemble role. That includes Johansson’s performances in Iron Man 2, the Sing animated franchise, and now Jurassic World: Rebirth. Meanwhile, Jackson and Downey both built their legacies largely within the Marvel ecosystem—though Jackson’s totals also benefit from the Incredibles films, where he voiced Frozone.
Despite rumors of a return via Marvel’s ever-expanding multiverse, Johansson has repeatedly insisted her MCU journey is over. “Natasha had her arc. It ended the way it needed to,” she told Variety last year.
Still, Downey could challenge her record again. He’s slated to return as Iron Man—or some multiversal variant of him—in Avengers: Doomsday, arriving in December 2026, followed by Secret Wars in 2027. And with Jackson never far from a Marvel paycheck, the crown could be passed again.
But for now, the title belongs to Johansson—a box office queen in a world of billion-dollar franchises.
“She’s earned this,” said box office analyst Rina Moralez. “She didn’t just ride Marvel’s coattails—she helped define it. And now, she’s writing a whole new legacy with Jurassic World.”
$14.8 billion and counting.