Jurassic World Rebirth had a tremendous opening at the box office, coming out strong upon its debut at $318.3 million earned worldwide in movie theaters. Already, the film’s earnings have helped garner star Scarlett Johansson a major Hollywood record.
Factoring in earnings from Jurassic World Rebirth, Johansson now has a career gross of about $14.8 billion. Via The Numbers, this makes her the highest-grossing actor of all time at the global box office, above a handful of fellow Marvel Cinematic Universe alums. Samuel L. Jackson was holding the record with $14.6 billion before being overtaken by Johansson. Jackson is also a Jurassic franchise star, having appeared in the original Jurassic Park film.
The other names that make up the Top 5 include Robert Downey Jr. ($14.3 billion), Zoe Saldaña ($14.2 billion), and Chris Pratt ($14.1 billion).
Johansson may only be holding the title for a limited time. Saldaña will appear in this year’s Avatar: Fire and Ash, which is likely to draw some big money at the box office. Downey also has the advantage of returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe with his role as Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday, another movie that will, more likely than not, pull in some major box office earnings. Johansson has also benefited with her MCU movies sending her higher up the list, but unlike Downey, she says she has no desire to return for Doomsday or any other Marvel movie.
«Natasha is dead. She is dead. She’s dead. Okay?» Johansson said of her MCU character in an InStyle interview when asked about a possible return. «They just don’t want to believe it. They’re like, ‘But she could come back!’ Look, I think the balance of the entire universe is held in her hand. We’re going to have to let it go. She saved the world. Let her have her hero moment.»
Johansson would go on to join some other major franchises after wrapping up her run in the MCU, which culminated with 2021’s Black Widow. She voice Elita-1 in last year’s Transformers One ahead of her newest role in the franchise film Jurassic World Rebirth. The latter is a role Johansson has described as a dream casting, as she’s long been a Jurassic Park fan. She even pitched herself for the casting when the film was first put into development.
«I was really crazy about the original film, and I slept in a Jurassic Park pup tent in my bedroom I shared with my sister for a year,» she said in a Vanity Fair interview. «Anytime the trades would report a new Jurassic movie, I would forward to my agents like, ‘Hey, I’m available.’»
Scarlett Johansson Is Back at Work
As for what’s next for Johansson, she is set to appear in the upcoming crime drama Paper Tiger. From writer and director James Gray, that film will also star Adam Driver and Miles Teller. Filming reportedly started last month. Meanwhile, Johansson is also developing a Tower of Terror movie for Disney.
Jurassic World Rebirth is now playing in movie theaters.
