Avengers: Infinity War arrived a month ago, bringing one of the biggest movies in film history to theaters. Fans are still reeling from its high stakes and insane ending twist, with Disney making a ton of money along the way. In fact, Infinity War recently broke the $2 billion mark, which is something few films in history have done. James Cameron's Avatar is another blockbuster with that distinction, making Zoe Saldana the first actor in history to have star billing in two $2 million dollar movies. Between Neytiri and Gamora, Saldana is a box office powerhouse.
This is a major moment in film history, and is likely made all the more significant due to the fact that, per Box Office Mojo, it's Zoe Saldana making this distinction. In a time where the film industry is calling more inclusion and diversity, a female actor of color was able to make this distinction before the likes of larger stars like Robert Downey Jr. or Chris Evans. What's more, Saldana has the ability to top her own record in the next few years.
Since Avengers: Infinity War had such a wild cliffhanger, moviegoers who paid money to see it in theaters will likely also return when the still untitled fourth Avengers movie arrives. This is the second half of the story, and will end the Marvel Cinematic Universe's first three phases as we know it. Avengers 4 certainly has the potential to outperform its predecessor, potentially giving Saldana a third $2 billion making credit.
Furthermore, Zoe Saldana is currently filming the upcoming Avatar sequels. If excitement for the original film will translate to the long awaited follow ups, then it seems like there could be even more additions to the $2 billion club. Avatar's new section of Disney's Animal Kingdom should certainly help drum up anticipation, along with any footage of the Na'vi James Cameron wants to share ahead of the each film's release.
It's interesting to see that Disney and 20th Century Fox are the two studios capable of bringing $2 billion in, especially given the pending merger between the two. The House of Mouse put in a bit to acquire 20th Century Fox and its various properties, including the X-Men franchise and Avatar movies. But Comcast just upped the ante, putting in a substantial cash offer to merge with Fox. It looks like it's going to be a bidding war, with both companies offering different pros and cons to their proposed deal.
While the future of Fox's upcoming merger is up in the air, one thing is clear: Zoe Saldana is one bankable actress. Add in her role as Uhura in the Star Trek franchise, and she's made an insane amount of money within the sci-fi genre.
Avengers: Infinity War is still in theaters now. In the meantime, check out our 2018 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
