The Last True Movie Stars That Still Dominate The Box Office

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, it's fair to say that Hollywood's film profits have been nothing short of a dumpster fire. In 2019, the domestic box office wrapped up with a decent $11.36 billion haul, but in 2020, it dropped by over 80% thanks to the shuttering of theaters. While multiplexes are now fully operational and there have been a string of high-profile blockbusters that brought audiences back to the cinemas, things aren't as good as they used to be. Though significant blame can be shifted towards studios for focusing on streaming, one thing appears to be certain: the idea of a movie star as we knew it is dead.

It used to be that audiences would attach themselves to an actor and go see every film they released, turning that pic into an event. Today, one could argue that there aren't any actors who can be counted on as major box office draws. Rather, IP (intellectual property) is king, with audiences more interested in sequels than watching their favorite stars take on original, daring stories. Consider the biggest box office hits of 2023; nearly all of them were franchise fare that capitalized on previously existing IP. Anthony Mackie, one of the biggest Marvel Cinematic Universe headliners, said precisely this at a public event, arguing that nobody shows up in droves to see him, but rather his character, the Falcon.

In 2024, a narrative seems to have emerged that agrees with Mackie: there are no stars big enough to pull in an audience. That's not entirely true, however, as recent box office hits show that there are some movie stars who continue to dominate at the box office.

The easiest and most obvious rebuttal to the argument that movie stars are dead is Tom Cruise. The truth is, we all owe Cruise thanks for saving the theater industry. In 2022, the actor debuted "Top Gun: Maverick" to critical and financial acclaim. The film released nearly four decades after the original "Top Gun," proving that Cruise still has the juice in his 60s. Sure, "Maverick" was based on existing IP, but it's not like the original "Top Gun" has been continuously revisited. While the film is part of the American cultural zeitgeist, it doesn't have the same recognizability and iconography as superhero or video game movies. Rather, it succeeded because of Cruise's unmitigated and pronounced star power, which has remained remarkably consistent over the last forty years.

And succeed "Maverick" did. The film went on to gross over $1.4 billion, with north of $700 million of that coming from U.S. cinemas. As of this writing, "Maverick" is the fifth highest-grossing domestic film of all time. It's also the highest-grossing domestic film of 2022, beating IP-centric hits like "Avatar: The Way of Water" and Marvel's double whammy for the year in the form of "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" and "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness."

With "Maverick," Cruise proved that he's still a draw after all these years, even outside of the "Mission: Impossible" franchise. The film also came out at an important time, when it was unclear whether the box office could ever recover from the pandemic. Thanks to the sequel's success, "Top Gun 3" is in the works, with Cruise and the rest of the cast expected to return.

It would be ridiculous to say that sequels, reboots, and remakes don't make big bucks. In fact, nearly every star on this list is a part of some familiar intellectual property. What matters, however, is if the star uses the IP as a vehicle to showcase their talents. Denzel Washington, for example, is an actor who has consistently been a part of one of the most underrated action franchises in recent memory. In 2014, he joined director Antoine Fuqua's "The Equalizer," which is based on the now-difficult-to-watch 1985 television series.

While the vigilante action series was popular in the '80s, it's not as if "The Equalizer" is a major cultural touchstone. In fact, the franchise was pretty much dormant and forgotten until Washington rebooted it, and, upon its release, "The Equalizer" grossed $192 million worldwide. It faced significant competition from several projects during its theatrical run, but Washington's star power managed to give the film considerable legs. Since then, two more "Equalizer" films have followed, with both of them grossing north of $185 million. Though there's no significant growth with each subsequent release, it's interesting that each new sequel is consistently making the same amount in an era where franchises tend to face diminishing returns (re: Marvel, DC).

"The Equalizer's" above-average success shows that Washington's fanbase is always interested in what the star has to offer. Consider his 2016 black-and-white drama "Fences," which managed to gross nearly $60 million domestically. The actor's output isn't always loud, but his projects draw eyeballs and earn enough to make Washington a true superstar in this day and age.

In 2022, Will Smith controversially slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars in a move that was widely theorized would end his acting career. That's far from the case in 2024, as the "Fresh Prince" superstar debuted "Bad Boys: Ride or Die" to a massive $56 million domestic opening — only a 9.5% drop from the $62 million debut "Bad Boys for Life" had in early 2020. Despite the drop-off from the previous installment, it proves two things: Smith can still open a blockbuster with more than $50 million, and his career is far from over in the post-Slap world. In fact, it could be argued that it's never been better.

An honest argument could be made that "Bad Boys 4" succeeded just because of the franchise's overall success, but then you'd have to consider the massive haul the franchise's threequel brought in back in 2020. "Bad Boys 3" ultimately brought home north of $420 million, making it one of Smith's strongest showings ever. The film notably debuted nearly two decades after the second flick. Released in mid-January, the film ended up becoming the top-grosser of 2020, largely due to the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered the theater industry.

The success of "Bad Boys 4" proves that Smith continues to be a dominant force, but mostly when it comes to franchise fare. Even in the pre-Slap world, his Oscar-winning flick "King Richard" struggled to gross $38 million. But while IP is still king, it's important to remember that "Bad Boys" isn't a sacred text, and those early two films mostly succeeded due to Smith's starpower and his chemistry with co-star Martin Lawrence.

Julia Roberts was inescapable in the '90s, thanks in large part to her starring roles in romantic comedies like "Pretty Woman," "Notting Hill," and "Runaway Bride." An actor with a wide and diverse filmography, Roberts' star power has persisted through the decades, with her films grossing a whopping $6.5 billion to date. That number is particularly staggering when you consider that she's only been a part of one franchise — the "Ocean's" trilogy.

In recent years, the "Erin Brokovich" star's output has been minimal but mighty. In 2017, she debuted the family-favorite "Wonder," based on the book of the same name. In an era where superhero films are responsible for big bucks, "Wonder" managed to pull in over $310 million worth of business. That's nothing to scoff at, especially when you consider that Roberts was the only major superstar attached to the project (Owen Wilson has a strong performance in the children's flick, but he is no leading man).

Following the success of "Wonder," Roberts continued her low-key approach, debuting the drama "Ben is Back" in a handful of theaters. She made waves, however, in 2022, when "Ticket to Paradise" reunited her with George Clooney. The romantic comedy earned a stellar $168 million worldwide in an era where the genre mostly exists on streaming. Though Clooney's clout definitely helped propel the film's success, Roberts' prominent fan base showed up in droves, making it one of the biggest unlikely hits of that year. It also proved her staying power in an industry that largely doesn't offer quality leading roles to older women.

When it comes to wrestlers-turned-movie stars, there's none as prolific or as successful as Dwayne Johnson. From his early days as an actor, audiences were wooed by Johnson's charm, physique, and range. Over the years, Johnson's cinematic presence has been reinvented countless times, with the star spearheading hardcore, solo-led action films, family-friendly comedies, and large-scale franchise fare.

Today, he's best known for his ensemble pieces, which many might think is a sign of Johnson's self-awareness, at least in terms of his acting talent. But the truth is, Johnson has always been someone who can come in and reinvigorate an already existing franchise, thanks to the fanbase he's built. The "Fast and Furious" series, for example, saw considerable growth when Johnson joined it in "Fast Five." To put into perspective how pronounced Johnson's introduction was, "Fast Five" saw a whopping 75% increase in financial receipts over its Rock-less predecessor. And even though the franchise has faltered slightly in recent years, his "Hobbs & Shaw" flick made a brilliant $760 million.

Even when we move beyond franchise fare and into his more solo efforts, there are a bunch of winners in the megastar's filmography. Consider the 2015 disaster thriller "San Andreas," which brought home a massive $456 million, or Johnson's "Die Hard" riff, "Skyscraper," which made over $300 million. Many might point to some of Johnson's recent misfires, most notably in the form of DC's "Black Adam," which had a showing of $390 million — a mediocre sum for a superhero flick. However, looking at DC's recent string of disastrous bombs, it's obvious that audiences showed up in droves for his performance even as the DCEU was dying.