Scarlett Johansson topped Forbes’s 2018 highest-paid-actress list with an estimated $40.5 million for earnings from June 1, 2017, through June 1, 2018. The reported driver was her recurring role as Black Widow in Marvel’s Avengers films, especially Avengers: Infinity War—not a single publicly disclosed salary. She topped the actresses’ ranking again the following year, with a separately estimated $56 million.
What the 2018 title means
“Highest-paid actress” refers to first place on Forbes’s annual list of actresses, not a claim that Johansson earned more than every actor or performer. Forbes’s 2018 estimate covered June 1, 2017, to June 1, 2018, and was reported by ABC News, Vanity Fair, and The Guardian. It is an estimate relayed by those outlets, not an audited total or a public accounting of Johansson’s contracts. ABC News; Vanity Fair; The Guardian.
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Why Marvel and the Avengers mattered
The strongest explanation in the reporting is Johansson’s recurring Marvel role as Natasha Romanoff, also known as Black Widow, and the commercial reach of the Avengers franchise. Vanity Fair linked part of the 2018 earnings estimate to Avengers: Infinity War and her broader Avengers work. Its account also noted that she was not the film’s main focus and had limited screen time. A character’s value to a successful franchise—and compensation tied to that franchise—need not track the number of minutes the character appears in one installment.
The available reporting does not disclose a complete contract breakdown for the 2018 estimate. It supports a connection to Marvel work, but not a precise figure for what Johansson earned from any one film.
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She topped the list again in 2019
For the separate period from June 1, 2018, to June 1, 2019, Forbes reported Johansson’s earnings at $56 million, again ranking her first among actresses. ABC News, summarizing Forbes, connected the total to Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame and reported an “eight figure check” and profit points. That description does not establish an exact contract amount or the full terms of her compensation. ABC News.
How other stars reached the top of the list
The 2018 ranking also shows why “highest-paid” is not the same as “highest salary for acting.” Forbes’s reported estimates combined different kinds of earnings, and the outlets described distinct routes to the top:
| Actress | Reported 2018 earnings | Reported source or context |
|---|---|---|
| Scarlett Johansson | $40.5 million for June 1, 2017–June 1, 2018 | Marvel and Avengers work, including Infinity War. |
| Angelina Jolie | $28 million for the same period | Vanity Fair attributed her placement in part to an upfront fee for Maleficent 2. |
| Jennifer Aniston | $19.5 million for the same period | Vanity Fair and The Guardian cited endorsements and brand sponsorships as major contributors. |
All three figures are Forbes estimates reported by the named outlets, not verified salary disclosures. Vanity Fair writer Yohana Desta described the contrasting paths this way: “The top three represent a perfect microcosm of how actresses earn whopping paydays in this era. You’re either in a superhero smash, or you’re an old-school star with staggering upfront fees, or you’re ladling endorsement deals by the dozen.” Vanity Fair.
The ranking’s limits and industry context
The 2018 actresses’ ranking was not an across-the-board ranking of Hollywood performers. For comparison only, The Guardian reported that Mark Wahlberg topped Forbes’s 2017 list of male actors at $68 million. That is a different list and earnings period, so it should not be read as a direct comparison of income from the same year.
The 2018 list also prompted questions about who gets access to the roles and deals that can generate large earnings. ABC News reported that none of the top ten actresses was a woman of color and quoted Forbes writer Natalie Robehmed discussing the limited number of big-budget roles and earning opportunities for women of color. Robehmed said, “The numbers speak for themselves,” and added, “TV is definitely more inclusive.” This context concerns representation and opportunity across the industry; it is not an explanation of Johansson’s individual earnings. ABC News.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What can—and cannot—be concluded
Johansson became the highest-paid actress on Forbes’s 2018 list because the publication’s estimate put her first for a June-to-June period in which her Marvel franchise work was a major reported earnings driver. Her repeat at the top in 2019 shows that the result was not limited to one list year, but both totals remain estimates attributed to Forbes through media reporting. They do not reveal her full contract terms or isolate a verified payment for any one film.
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