Scarlett Johansson’s reign at the top of Hollywood’s box office mountain has come to an end, and her husband, Saturday Night Live co‑anchor Colin Jost, didn’t let the moment pass without a laugh. In a now‑viral segment on the Jan. 17 SNL Weekend Update, Jost delivered the news that Johansson has been overtaken by fellow Marvel franchise star Zoe Saldaña as the highest‑grossing actor of all time, and he did it in a way only he could: with comedy, self‑deprecation, and a quick jab at his own filmography.
For years, Johansson, best known for her role as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, topped global box-office charts thanks to her work in blockbuster franchises like Avengers, Lucy, Jurassic World: Dominion, The Jungle Book, Sing, and more. But that title shifted in early January 2026, when Saldaña’s body of work, boosted once again by massive earnings from Avatar: Fire and Ash, pushed her past Johansson in cumulative box office earnings.
In true Weekend Update fashion, Jost turned the entertainment news into comedy gold. “Zoe Saldaña, who stars in the new Avatar movie, has surpassed Scarlett Johansson to become the highest‑grossing actress of all time,” he read from the teleprompter.
Then, without skipping a beat, Jost quipped: “Okay, well let’s see what happens if you include the box office from Scarlett’s husband’s movies.” A graphic of Johansson’s total slid even lower, and Jost, caught off guard by the absurdity of it, cracked up, exclaiming, “It went down?” with genuine surprise and laughter.
It wasn’t mean‑spirited; it was classic SNL, poking fun at the situation while spotlighting the absurdity of rankings and records in Hollywood. And Jost’s reaction made it clear he wasn’t at all bothered by the news about his wife. In fact, the joke worked partly because of how openly amused he was by it.
How the Box Office Crown Shifted
Johansson, 41, who has been a box-office force for more than a decade, previously held the title of highest‑grossing actor thanks to her long run in Marvel films and other major cinematic hits. According to reported figures, her total box office from feature films had been around $16.4 billion, an astonishing achievement for any performer.
But as of January 2026, that figure was overtaken by Zoe Saldaña, now officially crowned the highest‑grossing actor of all time with an estimated $16.8 billion in global earnings, per The Numbers. Much of Saldaña’s total comes from Avatar: Fire and Ash, which alone earned roughly $1.23 billion worldwide, adding to her robust filmography that includes Avatar sequels, several Guardians of the Galaxy installments, Star Trek reboots, and Pirates of the Caribbean.
That shift in ranking was enough to make the entertainment world buzz, especially among fans who track box office milestones the way sports fans follow records. Later, Saldaña shared her reaction on social media, expressing gratitude to her fans and collaborators, acknowledging directors, co-stars, and the franchises that helped shape her career, a gracious and heartfelt moment from the new titleholder.
But as headlines like “Zoe Saldana is officially the highest‑grossing actor of all time” began circulating, Jost’s SNL bit became the moment people kept talking about, not because it undermined Saldaña’s achievement, but because it showed him handling the news with humor and affection.
A Husband’s Humor, a Family’s Story
Colin Jost and Scarlett Johansson have long been one of Hollywood’s most-watched couples, blending entertainment careers with real‑world family life. They married in October 2020 and now share a son, Cosmo, born in 2021. Johansson also has an older daughter, Rose, from her previous marriage to French journalist Romain Dauriac.
For fans, Jost’s roast of the box office numbers struck a relatable chord: it wasn’t a shade on Johansson, but a moment of self‑aware humor that reminded people why they enjoy SNL and its Weekend Update desk so much. It also leaned into Jost’s long history of good‑natured jokes about himself as the spouse of a wildly successful Hollywood A‑lister.
The bit also subtly highlighted the modern reality of a dual‑career household where one partner’s professional highlights can sometimes overshadow another’s in public perception, and where the right joke can defuse any potential awkwardness in seconds. After all, only on Saturday Night Live could one of Hollywood’s biggest stars’ box office totals get recalculated live on national TV by her husband as a punchline.
But there’s also a genuine sweetness beneath the laughter. Jost’s reaction wasn’t discomfort; it was joy. His wide grin and laughter showed a man entertained by the role he plays in pop culture and proud of his partner’s success. That kind of shared humor is part of what endears them to audiences; they don’t take the glitz too seriously, even when the headlines do.
Johansson herself hasn’t publicly commented on the SNL joke as of this writing, and she doesn’t owe anyone a response. The shift in box office rankings doesn’t change her legacy, a decades‑long career that has spanned animation, dramatic roles, action blockbusters, and award-worthy performances. But Jost’s reaction adds a human dimension to the moment, reminding fans that behind every statistic is a person with stories, relationships, and plenty of laughs to share.
At its core, the headlines about Johansson losing a title and Saldaña gaining one are business metrics. But what turned this into a cultural moment was how people emotionally connected with it.
It wasn’t just about numbers; it was about the story behind the numbers. It was about a husband making fun of himself to celebrate his wife. It was about two successful careers intersecting with humor and humility on one of TV’s longest‑running comedy stages. It was about audiences collectively laughing with a man who didn’t shrink when the spotlight hit a career milestone; he turned it into a joke and, in the process, made people smile.
Few things are permanent in Hollywood records, titles, and box office bragging rights. What is enduring are the moments that remind us why we watch these shows, why we follow these stars, and why, every now and then, we need a laugh to bring it all back down to earth.
