American actress Zendaya is enjoying what is shaping up to be the biggest box-office year of her career, emerging as the highest-grossing actor of 2026 after appearing in two films that have crossed the $1 billion mark at the worldwide box office.
The actress has achieved the feat through a combination of major blockbuster franchises and high-profile productions, with her films generating more than $2.3 billion globally so far this year.
Her latest success comes from Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which has reportedly grossed about $1.18 billion worldwide and has taken the position of the highest-grossing movie of the year.
The film’s performance has been particularly striking because it reached the $1 billion milestone just seven days after its release, underscoring the enormous commercial appeal of the Spider-Man franchise and Zendaya’s growing status as one of Hollywood’s most recognisable young stars.
Zendaya also features in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, another major global success that has crossed the $1 billion threshold, with the film currently earning more than $1.008 billion worldwide.
The achievement places the actress in an unusual position in Hollywood, having two billion-dollar productions attached to her name in the same calendar year.
Her 2026 box-office run began with The Drama, which has generated approximately $132 million worldwide. Although significantly smaller in scale than her two blockbuster releases, the film has added to an already impressive year for the actress and demonstrated the breadth of projects associated with her career.
Zendaya’s success has also been strengthened by her ability to move between different genres and filmmaking styles. From major franchise productions to more character-driven films, she has continued to build a career that combines commercial appeal with projects from some of the industry’s most prominent filmmakers.
Her position as the highest-grossing actor of the year is particularly notable considering that the figure is not based on a single blockbuster performance but on the combined strength of several major productions released within the same year.
The actress, however, is not done with the big screen in 2026.
She is expected to return later this year in Dune: Part Three, the latest instalment in the acclaimed science-fiction franchise in which she plays Chani. The film is scheduled for release on December 18 and is expected to generate significant interest at the global box office.
The forthcoming release could further extend Zendaya’s extraordinary commercial run and strengthen her position as she heads into 2027.
Her rise to the top of the year’s box-office rankings represents another significant milestone in a career that has evolved rapidly from television and youth-oriented productions to major Hollywood franchises and critically acclaimed films.
With two billion-dollar films already attached to her 2026 record and another major franchise release still ahead, Zendaya’s year has become a striking example of the changing profile of Hollywood’s new generation of leading stars.
For an actress who has steadily moved from the Disney Channel spotlight to some of the biggest productions in the world, 2026 may well prove to be the year Zendaya firmly establishes herself not just as a celebrated performer, but as one of cinema’s strongest commercial draws.
Credit: TMZ
