Over the years, we’ve seen a rise in franchises. Be it book trilogies, comic books (i.e. the MCU, DCU) or movie plots so good they spawned movie after movie (i.e. ‘F&F’) – franchises build upon an already established fan base in the hopes of successfully roping in viewers. As such, it’s no surprise that franchises are the ones that dominate the movie industry, particularly the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which have spawned some of the highest-grossing films in the 21st century; three of the top 10 highest-grossing films are from the MCU. However, for the longest time, the chart topper was one that was an original work: 2009’s ‘Avatar’ by James Cameron. In 2010, the movie surpassed Cameron’s 1997 classic, ‘Titanic’ and held the title until 2019, when ‘Avengers: Endgame’ dethroned it.
However, following a surprise re-release of ‘Avatar’ in cinemas in China (a treat for fans who have been waiting 11 years for a sequel or, maybe, to build up the hype for Avatar II?), the former box office number one has taken its title back from ‘Avengers: Endgame’. However, in the midst of rather wholesome support and hearty congratulations between the teams, fans seem very much invested in congratulating one particular person: Zoë Yadira Saldaña. The American-Dominican actress played a major part in both movies, as Neytiri in ‘Avatar’ and Gamora in ‘Avengers’ and as such, has been dubbed the queen of the box office.
Honestly, the reactions are so cute:
https://twitter.com/johncampea/status/1370847275539341316
https://twitter.com/nhlrushman/status/1370779523290107909
Just acknowledge that no matter who wins between Avatar and Avengers: Endgame, the real winner is Zoe Saldana. pic.twitter.com/RnAptLniml
— aaron ◊ #RenewLegendsOfTomorrow (@vandawision) March 13, 2021
Zoe Saldana watching Avatar and Avengers: Endgame go back and forth as the highest grossing movie of all time pic.twitter.com/Z1K7cHXCs6
— Binge Mode (@binge_mode) March 13, 2021
Of course, this is no coincidence – not much of one, at least. After all, the actress has a slew of highly successful movie franchises in her repertoire, including appearances in the Star Trek film series and the one time she was in the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie.
Having seen the responses, the 42-year-old award-winning actress took to her Instagram account to thank fans for the love:
“To know that I am a part of “The Two Biggest Movies Of All Time” is humbling to say the least. To all my fans and fans of @avatar and @avengers #avengersendgame Thank You! Gracias! Grazie!”
*Cover image credits: @zoesaldana / @avengers