Tom Holland has become the highest-grossing actor in movie history, with his career box office total climbing to $15.5 billion after the summer success of "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" and "The Odyssey," according to figures from Comicbook.com.
The British actor, 30, earned the title after both films turned into box office juggernauts. "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" has grossed $2.45 billion worldwide as of Sunday, while "The Odyssey" has taken in $1.68 billion in worldwide revenue.
The combined haul pushed Holland past Zoe Saldana, whose films have grossed $15.46 billion, and Scarlett Johansson, at $15.40 billion, according to the tally. Saldana is best known for the "Avatar" and "Guardians of the Galaxy" franchises, while Johansson built much of her box office total playing Black Widow in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the same shared universe in which Holland has played Spider-Man since 2016. The Daily Mail has reached out to representatives for Holland for further comment but has yet to hear back.
"Spider-Man: Brand New Day"'s success has also launched it into the top three of all-time grossing films worldwide.
Where the Films Rank
The top-grossing film of all time remains 2009's "Avatar," with $2.92 billion, while 2019's "Avengers: Endgame" earned $2.79 billion, according to Box Office Mojo.
With more than $935 million in domestic earnings, "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" is the second-highest earning film in domestic box office history, behind only 2015's "Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens," which took in $936 million.
"The Odyssey," which draws its title from the ancient Greek epic poem attributed to Homer, has also broken records during its run this summer. It is the only non-sequel or remake besides "Avatar" to gross more than $1 billion outside the United States and Canada.
Holland's Backend Bonus
Holland "will make at least" $100 million thanks to the box office success of "Spider-Man: Brand New Day," according to a report from The Wrap last month.
Holland was paid $20 million to reprise his role as Peter Parker, and insiders told the outlet that salary would be eclipsed by the backend bonus he receives from the film's $2.45 billion gross since its July 31 release. The Wrap's source said there is no cap on what Holland can earn from the film.
A Decade of Rising Paychecks
Holland has taken progressively larger salaries for his work in the Spider-Man franchise over the past decade, starting with his first appearance as the character in 2016's "Captain America: Civil War."
Holland earned $250,000 for that crossover role, the first of what has become seven outings as Spider-Man. His payday rose to $500,000 for 2017's "Spider-Man: Homecoming."
His salary kept climbing after that: $4 million for 2019's "Spider-Man: Far From Home" and $10 million for 2021's "Spider-Man: No Way Home," after which his original six-film deal with Sony for the role came to an end, according to The Wrap.
That original deal also included appearances in crossover films such as 2018's "Avengers: Infinity War" and 2019's "Avengers: Endgame," part of the wider Marvel Cinematic Universe in which Holland's Spider-Man has recurred alongside other franchise characters.
Holland's next contract was put together by his attorney, Robert Offer, along with agents at William Morris Endeavor, Liam Buckley, Andrew Dunlap and James Farrell, The Wrap reported.
'The New Robert Downey Jr.'
Holland's business decisions led one executive to describe him to The Wrap as "the new Robert Downey Jr.," as his financial rise has mirrored Downey's trajectory in the Iron Man franchise.
Downey earned $500,000 for the original 2008 "Iron Man" film, which launched the Marvel Cinematic Universe. That figure escalated to around $50 million for 2013's "Iron Man 3," based on an initial $10 million salary plus backend proceeds.
Downey went on to earn massive sums for his Marvel appearances, including $10 million for a brief role in "Spider-Man: Homecoming" and more than $100 million each for "Avengers: Infinity War" and "Avengers: Endgame."
