Zendaya’s Four 2026 Blockbusters Could Overtake Brie Larson’s 2019 Box Office Record

If you thought Zendaya was already everywhere, just wait for 2026. She’s not just sticking to one blockbuster next year—she’s aiming to be the face of three massive movies, each one a legitimate contender to top the global box office charts. And as wild as it sounds, we might see her pull off something even Marvel actors haven’t managed: breaking some box office records that looked unreachable, even by the MCU’s standards.

A Trio of Giant Movies—All in a Single Year

Let’s run through what’s on Zendaya’s plate:

• Spider-Man: Brand New Day – Zendaya’s back as MJ (Michelle Jones-Watson) for Tom Holland's next Spidey adventure. If history is any indication, people are going to show up in massive numbers.
• Dune: Part Three – She’s suiting back up as Chani in the final installment of Denis Villeneuve's sci-fi juggernaut. Given the momentum of Dune: Part Two, this one’s got 'event movie' written all over it.
• The Odyssey – Christopher Nolan is apparently not finished with his giant, cerebral spectacles. Zendaya will take on the role of the Greek goddess Athena, and Nolan’s track record suggests even non-nerds will be paying attention.

These aren’t just “big” movies—they all have the potential to seriously shake up the box office rankings next year. And Zendaya’s got her fingerprints all over each one.

Chasing Brie Larson’s 2019 Record

Let’s rewind to 2019. Brie Larson basically owned that year for actresses at the box office, thanks to Captain Marvel ($1.13 billion globally), Avengers: Endgame ($2.8 billion), and, to a much lesser degree, the legal drama Just Mercy. Those films added up to a monstrous $3.98 billion overall. That’s the record for an actress in a single year—a number that’s looked untouchable for a while.

But Zendaya’s 2026 slate? She actually has a shot at topping it. Here’s why:

Spider-Man: Brand New Day has a release date that’s basically unchallenged, which is rare these days. The last time we saw Peter Parker and MJ together (in No Way Home), the movie pulled in $1.9 billion worldwide. Maybe the sequel doesn’t quite hit that, but $1.5 billion doesn’t sound crazy at all.

Dune: Part Three is a little trickier to predict. The first two films have grown the franchise’s fanbase, jumping from $411 million for the first movie to $715 million for the second. The third movie should at least flirt with the billion-dollar club, assuming it isn’t completely overshadowed by Marvel’s Avengers: Doomsday dropping the same holiday season. (Makes you wonder who’s running these calendars.)

The Odyssey is the real wild card. Nolan’s Oppenheimer felt like a three-hour, R-rated physics lecture and made almost $1 billion. Now imagine that, but with a much bigger budget, massive action set pieces, and an A-list cast. If it catches fire, there’s no telling where its ceiling is.

Add it all up and Zendaya’s movies have a very credible shot at at least $3.5 billion, maybe even breaking $4 billion if everything goes right. And if her smaller April release ‘The Drama’ catches on? That just might push her over the top.

'The honest truth is that if even two of these are mega-hits, Zendaya will be having a year rivaled by pretty much no one outside Marvel’s busiest superheroes.'

Samuel L. Jackson’s Ridiculous All-Time Box Office Run

Okay, but here’s the reality check: the biggest single-year box office haul isn’t even Brie Larson’s. It’s Samuel L. Jackson’s 2019, and honestly, it’s almost comical how much that man was on screen. That year, he showed up in Captain Marvel, Avengers: Endgame, Spider-Man: Far From Home, on top of Glass and Shaft. Oh, and his voice pops up for two seconds as Mace Windu in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (which feels more like a trivia answer than an acting credit).
All told, Jackson’s movies grossed over $5.3 billion. Even if you ignore that voice cameo, he still banked $4.2 billion. So no, Zendaya won’t catch Sam Jackson, but she does have a pretty decent shot at Brie’s top spot for actresses.

To recap, 2026 could be the year Zendaya goes from superstar to unprecedented box office phenomenon. Three giant franchises. One (maybe two) possible box office records. And trust me—Hollywood will absolutely be watching those numbers pile up.