Scarlett Johansson became the highest-paid actress on Forbes’s 2018 annual list with reported earnings of $40.5 million for June 1, 2017, through June 1, 2018. The main reported driver was her recurring role as Black Widow in Marvel’s Avengers films, including Avengers: Infinity War. Forbes’s figure was an estimate, not a public accounting of her contracts.
What the 2018 ranking measured
“Highest-paid actress in Hollywood” refers here to first place on Forbes’s 2018 list of actresses, not a continuous title or a ranking of every performer. The list covered earnings from June 1, 2017, through June 1, 2018. ABC News reported Johansson’s $40.5 million total from Forbes; Vanity Fair and The Guardian also reported the ranking and figure. ABC News, Vanity Fair, The Guardian
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Forbes’s reported earnings estimates are useful for comparing the list, but they are not audited disclosures or a detailed ledger of salary, bonuses, and other compensation. The outlets’ reports do not establish the exact terms of Johansson’s individual contracts.
How Marvel and the Avengers films contributed
Johansson’s recurring work as Black Widow tied her earnings to the Avengers franchise and its commercial success. Vanity Fair connected her 2018 total in part to Infinity War and her broader Avengers work, while noting that she was not the film’s main focus and had limited screen time. A supporting role in one installment can still have financial value within a large franchise; screen time alone does not explain an actor’s compensation.
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The following year, ABC News, summarizing Forbes, said Johansson’s reported earnings included an “eight figure check” and profit points associated with Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. That description supports a connection to franchise compensation, but it does not disclose an exact payment or complete deal structure.
She topped the list again in 2019
Johansson ranked first again on Forbes’s 2019 list, with reported earnings of $56 million for June 1, 2018, through June 1, 2019. ABC News attributed the total to compensation connected with Infinity War and Endgame. This is a separate annual measurement window from the $40.5 million reported for the 2018 list, not an update to that earlier figure. ABC News
How other actresses earned—and what the comparisons show
The 2018 list reflected different income sources, not just acting salaries. Angelina Jolie ranked second with reported earnings of $28 million for June 1, 2017, through June 1, 2018; reporting linked her position to an upfront fee for Maleficent 2. Jennifer Aniston ranked third at $19.5 million for that same period, with endorsements described as a substantial contributor. ABC News, Vanity Fair, The Guardian
Forbes’s 2019 list offered another comparison: Sofia Vergara ranked second with reported earnings of $44.1 million for June 1, 2018, through June 1, 2019, and Reese Witherspoon ranked third at $35 million for that period. ABC News noted Witherspoon’s producing work on Big Little Lies as one part of her earnings. These examples show how franchise compensation, upfront fees, endorsements, and production work can all shape annual rankings.
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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →The gender comparison requires care. The Guardian reported that Mark Wahlberg led Forbes’s 2017 highest-paid male actors list with $68 million; that was a different list and reporting period from Johansson’s 2018 ranking among actresses. It is context, not a same-year, like-for-like comparison.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.The ranking’s representation context
ABC News reported that the 2018 top ten had no racial diversity and quoted Forbes writer Natalie Robehmed discussing the limited availability of big-budget roles and the resulting constraints on earning opportunities for women of color. Robehmed said, “The numbers speak for themselves.” She also said, “TV is definitely more inclusive.” Johansson’s place at the top of the list therefore sits within a broader discussion about who gets access to high-budget roles and the earnings those opportunities can generate. ABC News
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