The 30 actors with the biggest all-time box office retruns

Unsurprisingly, every single person on this list has been in at least one successful, long-running franchise. Much of the time, a superhero is involved. Jackman became famous thanks to his turn as Wolverine in the “X-Men” franchise. Returning to the role for “Deadpool and Wolverine,” the biggest R-rated movie in history, got the Aussie actor into the top 30.

Look, we’re not saying that Grint was riding coattails, or that his box-office success is a byproduct of a popular franchise. The website we’re working off, though, has him categorized as a leading actor in 14 movies. Eight of those are “Harry Potter” movies, and in those, he is the third lead among the kid characters and, what, the 10th-most-important character overall?

“A Minecraft Movie” added a lot to Black’s total, but he’s still quite a bit away from the next actor. He’s the last of the actors in the $7 billion range. The “Jumanji” movies definitely helped, but let us not forget voiceover work is included, and Black has four “Kung Fu Panda” movies and his turn as Bowser in “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” on his resume.

Cumberbatch is over $8 billion and you may be thinking, “Of course, he’s Doctor Strange, he’s got all those Marvel movies to his name.” Indeed, this list is littered with Marvel alums. However, we want to point out something else, because it is wild to us every time we think about it. Did you know that “The Grinch” is the highest-grossing Christmas movie in history? It’s true!

Carell has been in some R-rated comedies that have done well for R-rated comedies. He’s also in “Bruce Almighty,” which was a big hit. However, you know who Carell has to thank a hair outside the top-25 in terms of box office bankers. It’s those Minions. Voicing Gru has lifted Carell’s box-office totals massively.

Olsen’s box office success is owed almost entirely to her (often tertiary) role in the MCU. We mean, with all due respect, “Ingrid Goes West” didn’t get her here. “Godzilla” wasn’t as big as “The Grinch,” either. Olsen joined the MCU with “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” though, getting her in the mix before Cumberbatch.

Brolin, who of course played Thanos in the MCU, is just above Olsen. He has six more leading roles listed, which helps a smidge. “The Goonies” was a hit, but this list is not adjusted for inflation, so its $68 million doesn’t make as much of a splash. What does, though, is two “Dune” movies and the low-key big hit “True Grit.”

Radcliffe was the titular Harry Potter, but of course you know there is another young actor from that cast we haven’t mentioned yet. One who has had the biggest career of the trio. Radcliffe, to his credit, seems like an interesting dude who knows he’s set for life due to his “Potter” money and chooses projects that engage him. Well, he did join the world of magic-based heists with “Now You See Me 2.” On the other hand, he did the Weird Al movie, so it all balances out.

Gillan has banked a lot of box office, and collected some sweet paychecks, for playing Nebula in the Marvel movies. Of course, she’s also largely unrecognizable and doesn’t get to show off the charm she radiates in other roles and in real life. Fortunately, she had a chance to do that in the “Jumanji” movies, which also made plenty of money.

We can’t say for sure, but if these numbers were adjusted for inflation, there’s a good chance Ford would top this list. The first three “Star Wars” movies. The first three “Indiana Jones” movies. Need we say more? Okay, “The Fugitive” also made over $350 million in 1993 money. And on and on.

One thing is for sure: Ford would have more career box office than Renner if we adjusted for inflation. Renner only has 19 credited leading roles. Six of them are Marvel movies or “Mission: Impossible” movies, though. There was also “The Bourne Legacy,” the brief attempt to hand the “Bourne” franchise over to a new actor. Plus, quietly, “Arrival” made over $200 million as well.

Professional wrestler turned actor Bautista has picked some of his projects with aplomb. Not unlike Brolin, he’s been in both Marvel movies and the “Dune” movies. However, in addition to the particular popularity of the “Guardians of the Galaxy” movies within the MCU, do recall that Bautista played a heavy in “Spectre.” Sure, that’s not a beloved Bond movie, but Bond movies are big business, and that one made over $800 million.

To think, Cheadle could be even higher on this list if he had played Colonel Rhodes starting with “Iron Man.” In fact, he’d be over $9 billion. On top of all his Marvel movies, Cheadle was in the “Ocean’s” trilogy as well. Even with “Space Jam: A New Legacy” flopping, Cheadle has banked plenty of box office.

Smith is the first actor over $9 billion, and he gets credit for driving his success on that front more than many of these actors. “Bad Boys” wasn’t some pre-existing property. While “Men in Black” was, a lot of people even now probably don’t know that. Then, there’s “Independence Day,” “Hitch,” “Hancock,” and more. Also, yes, we’ll grant you he was in that “Suicide Squad” movie.

Hermoine wins! Watson has netted more box office than Grint or Radcliffe. It’s incredibly straightforward. In addition to the “Harry Potter” movies, Watson played Belle in that “Beauty and the Beast” movie that made over $1.2 billion. Her 16 movies in a leading role are the fewest in the top 20.

We enter the top 15 with Ruffalo. Once upon a time, he was a character actor more likely to be in an Oscar-nominated movie than a billion-dollar blockbuster. Then, Marvel needed to replace Edward Norton as the Hulk. Ruffalo entered the picture, and the rest is history. Oh, and he’s in the “Now You See Me” movies as well.

Holland is the highest-grossing actor with fewer than 20 movies to his name. He’s here because he’s Spider-Man, although to be fair he is the only Spider-Man actor on this list. Of course, he’s also the only Spider-Man actor to be in an “Avengers” movie as well. Even though his animated offerings have been disappointing at the box office, including “Onward,” Holland does have a bit of help from one more movie. “Uncharted” made over $400 million, and that is a significant number. Still, it’s mostly Spidey.

Those “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies cost so much money to make…but that also made a ton of money as well. Two of them made over a billion dollars! Depp and Tim Burton have combined to make a lot of money as well. Not so much on, say, “Dark Shadows,” but “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” made over $450 million, and “Alice in Wonderland,” which is a bad movie, made over $1 billion. Depp is the first actor on this list at over $10 billion.

Hanks, like Ford, might top this list if adjusted for inflation. He also has managed to avoid the whole superhero movie thing. Even Ford got sucked into hulking out red style. The hits have been plentiful and often singular in nature. “Forrest Gump,” for example, or “Saving Private Ryan.” That’s not to say that Hanks hasn’t benefited from franchises. The adaptations of the Dan Brown books were quite successful, even if those movies have largely been forgotten. On the other hand, nobody is going to forget the “Toy Story” movies anytime soon.

Playing Captain America has certainly helped Evans a ton, and helped him be the first $11-billion actor on this list. That’s not his only superhero success, though. Don’t forget he was in the earlier iteration of the Fantastic Four on the big screen. Neither movie was a big hit, or well-received critically, but both made over $300 million. Speaking of making over $300 million, let us not forget that “Knives Out” made over $300 bucks, and that it is super good.

We’re in the top 10! The first attempt to build an action franchise with Cooper in the center of it was “The A-Team,” and that didn’t really work. Eventually, he would lend his voice to Rocket in the MCU. Then, there’s the out-of-nowhere “The Hangover” trilogy. Even the third one, less popular than the other two, made over $300 million. Also, Cooper starred in one of the most-surprising successes of the new millennium. “American Sniper,” a biopic of a military sniper, made over $500 million.

Sure, “Black Adam” didn’t work out, but Johnson has spent most of his career looking for big paydays and blockbuster success. There’s the “Jumanji” movies, for starters, and don’t forget that he jumped into the “Fast and Furious” franchise. Voiceover work matters, too, and Johnson has lent his voice to two “Moana” movies. Hey, even his first movie that he was in, “The Mummy Returns,” made over $400 million.

Diesel and Johnson famously haven’t gotten along working on the “Fast and Furious” movies, and Diesel has the edge on Johnson for now. He has the benefit of being in more “Fast and Furious” movies, but also in being in the MCU. Where, you know, he voices a tree. Additionally, like Johnson, he gets some help from an early role of his, as Diesel was in “Saving Private Ryan.”

Cruise gets us over $12 billion, and depending on the success of the latest “Mission: Impossible” movie, he could climb from seventh to sixth. However, the top five have separated themselves for now. Cruise has, of course, been a star for decades. He has the “Mission: Impossible” franchise, of course, but that’s just a portion of his long filmography. Plus, Cruise held out to get “Top Gun: Maverick” into theaters. It paid off, as that movie made almost $1.5 billion.

Even though “Furiosa” was a bit of a disappointment, Hemsworth is doing just fine. With Hemsworth, it’s almost entirely Marvel that gets him here. On eight occasions Hemsworth has had a proper role in a movie playing Thor. His pivotal one-scene turn in “Star Trek” is also included, and that movie made over $350 million.

The top five skips over the $13-billion level entirely and goes right to $14 billion. While the “Jurassic World” movies aren’t very good, all three of them have made a lot of money. That’s a billion-dollar franchise. Then, you have to throw in the fact he voiced Mario (for some reason) in “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” another billion-dollar effort. With only 26 films included, Pratt’s per-movie average is topped only by Holland in the top 15.

Like her “Guardians” co-star Pratt, Saldana is bolstered by two massive franchises. Both of the first two “Avatar” movies were gigantic hits. The first movie is the highest-grossing film in history. Of course, come December 2025, the third “Avatar” movie will be coming out, and Saldana will enter the $15-billion level. Right now, nobody is there…right now.

Hey, those Sherlock Holmes movies were pretty popular! That must be behind this, right? No? It’s the fact he was in the Marvel Cinematic Universe before it was even a Cinematic Universe? Post-MCU, Downey was also in “Oppenheimer.” He won an Oscar and added another huge hit to his resume. Eventually, Downey will be returning to the MCU, not as Tony Stark, but as Victor von Doom. That will likely get him into the $15-billion range, but Saldana will get there first.

Johansson is going to get to $15 billion before anybody, though. Her time as Black Widow is responsible for a lot of this, but Johansson has lent her voice to some big hits as well. The two “Sing” movies, for example, and also Jon Favreau’s “The Jungle Book.” What’s going to get her over $15 billion, though, is “Jurassic World Rebirth.” As established, these movies make bank, and this one is being released on Fourth of July weekend.

For now, Jackson tops this list. There is one, well, it’s not quite a caveat, but it is worth noting. Jackson has acted a ton. The dude likes to work. He’s credited with 71 proper, leading or leading-adjacent roles. The only guys in the top 50 with more are Bruce Willis and Nicolas Cage who both spent years making cheap, direct-to-video action flicks. That being said, Jackson has been in a lot of big hits. There are his Nick Fury movies in the MCU, of course, but he was also in “Jurassic Park.” Let’s not forget the fact he lent his voice to two “Incredibles” movies. “Kong: Skull Island” made over $500 million. “Die Hard with a Vengeance (hey, Bruce Willis!) was a big hit. “Unbreakable” (hey, Bruce Willis!) and “Glass” (we’ll end the bit here) both made over $200 million. It’s not just sheer tonnage with Jackson. Also, crucially, he’s often been part of the success of these movies. Jackson hasn’t carried many big hits, but he’s excellent in an ensemble.