In a Hollywood where blockbusters can implode without warning, a reliable box office star is worth more than any special effect. Studios pay top dollar for names that sell tickets regardless of the premise. Some actors have built that trust over one franchise. Others have delivered it across genre after genre.
These are not just popular actors. They are financial guarantees with a track record that keeps studios signing checks. Here are the stars that Hollywood’s biggest studios bet their biggest money on.
Zoe Saldaña, the highest-grossing actor alive
Zoe Saldaña officially became the highest-grossing actor of all time in January 2026, surpassing both Scarlett Johansson and Samuel L. Jackson following the success of Avatar: Fire and Ash. Her films have collectively earned over 15 billion dollars at the global box office, a figure no actor in history has ever reached.
She is the first actor ever to star in four films that each grossed over two billion dollars worldwide. Those films are Avatar in 2009, Avengers: Infinity War in 2018, Avengers: Endgame in 2019, and Avatar: The Way of Water in 2022. She also won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Emilia Pérez in March 2025.
Tom Cruise, the last true movie star
Tom Cruise has been selling tickets for over four decades and shows no real signs of stopping. His films have grossed a combined 13.3 billion dollars worldwide across a career spanning nearly 50 films. Top Gun: Maverick in 2022 remains his biggest single hit, grossing 1.49 billion dollars and becoming the only film in his career to cross the one-billion-dollar mark.
Mission: Impossible: The Final Reckoning in 2025 grossed 598 million dollars worldwide on a reported budget of 300 to 400 million dollars, making it a financial disappointment for Paramount despite strong global demand. Still, it opened to a franchise-best 200 million dollars over the four-day Memorial Day weekend.
Ryan Reynolds, comedy, chaos, and a billion dollars
Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman together in Deadpool and Wolverine in 2024 delivered one of the year’s biggest box office stories. The film grossed over 1.33 billion dollars worldwide, making it the highest-grossing R-rated film in cinema history and the second-biggest film of 2024 behind Inside Out 2.
The film opened to 211 million dollars domestically in its first weekend, setting the record for the biggest R-rated opening weekend ever and shattering the records previously held by the first two Deadpool films. Reynolds has made his brand synonymous with wit, self-awareness, and genuine audience love.
Tom Holland, the franchise anchor who just keeps growing
Tom Holland has appeared in the three Spider-Man films that together grossed nearly 3.9 billion dollars worldwide. Spider-Man: No Way Home alone earned 1.9 billion dollars worldwide in 2021, making it the sixth-highest-grossing film of all time. His combined box office across every film he has led or appeared in since 2017 exceeds 11 billion dollars alongside co-star Zendaya.
Holland now has Spider-Man: Brand New Day releasing on July 31, 2026, which industry projections expect to cross one billion dollars comfortably. His ability to carry emotional weight while anchoring massive action spectacles is rare. He has become one of Sony and Marvel’s most valuable assets.
Zendaya, a name that opens films on its own
Zendaya’s box office power grew substantially with Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two in 2024, which grossed 714 million dollars worldwide and became the year’s first major global hit. Her combined career gross across leading and supporting roles now exceeds 3.9 billion dollars worldwide, according to Wikipedia data updated in 2026.
Christopher Nolan cast her opposite Tom Holland in The Odyssey, releasing July 17, 2026, signaling that the most respected director working today sees her as a genuine film-opening star. When a filmmaker of Nolan’s caliber stakes a major summer release on your name alongside a 200 million dollar plus estimated budget.
Glen Powell, Hollywood’s newest billion-dollar name
Glen Powell had been working in Hollywood for nearly two decades before Top Gun: Maverick in 2022 turned him into a star. The film grossed 1.49 billion dollars worldwide and introduced Powell to a global audience as Hangman, a role he co-developed with director Joseph Kosinski and Tom Cruise.
He then starred in Anyone but You in 2023, which grossed 220 million dollars on a 25 million dollar budget. Hit Man in 2024 earned a 97 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes. Twisters in 2024 grossed around 370 million dollars domestically over the summer. At CinemaCon in April 2025, Powell received the Star of the Year award.
Dwayne Johnson, the franchise factory
Dwayne Johnson remains one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood, consistently commanding salaries of 20 million dollars or more per film. His films, including the Fast and Furious franchise, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, and Jumanji: The Next Level, have collectively grossed billions of dollars worldwide over two decades.
Despite Black Adam’s commercial disappointment, Dwayne Johnson remains a major draw. His film Red One became Amazon MGM Studios’ most-watched debut, attracting 50 million viewers despite a theatrical gross of 186 million against a budget of 200 to 250 million.
Cynthia Erivo, the stage powerhouse Hollywood keeps calling back
Cynthia Erivo’s Wicked: Part One in 2024 grossed 758 million dollars worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing Broadway musical adaptation of all time and one of the biggest films of the year. As Elphaba, she anchored a film of enormous production scale alongside Ariana Grande as Glinda.
Wicked: For Good in 2025 grossed 540 million dollars worldwide, bringing the confirmed combined global total for both Wicked films to approximately 1.3 billion dollars. Erivo earned an Academy Award nomination for her Elphaba performance, adding critical weight to her commercial power.
Ariana Grande, pop stardom translated directly to the Box Office
Ariana Grande made her major film debut in Wicked: Part One in 2023 as Glinda and delivered one of the most commercially valuable debut performances in recent Hollywood history. The film’s marketing leaned heavily on both her and Erivo’s individual fanbases, and the results confirmed Grande’s ability to sell tickets to audiences who might not otherwise enter a movie theater.
Her social media presence across Instagram, X, and TikTok helped drive consistent conversation around the film for months before and after its release. Universal treated her like a film star from the beginning rather than a pop star doing a cameo.
Timothée Chalamet, the young star studios trust with big swings
Timothée Chalamet has led or co-led multiple films that collectively earned over 2.3 billion dollars worldwide, including Dune and Dune: Part Two, Wonka, and A Complete Unknown. Studios began trusting him with increasingly high-stakes productions after Call Me by Your Name in 2017, and that trust has been rewarded consistently.
His upcoming film The Odyssey, directed by Christopher Nolan and releasing July 17, 2026, is widely expected to be one of the biggest films of the decade. He also has an Oscar nomination for Marty Supreme in 2025. At just 30 years old, Chalamet has already reached a level of industry trust that most actors spend an entire career chasing.
Featured Image: Photo by Ed Webster on Wikimedia Commons
