Overview
- On SNL’s Jan. 17 Weekend Update, Jost joked about adding his own film earnings to Johansson’s as an on-screen graphic comically dropped her total from $15.4 billion to $15.1 billion, prompting his surprised line, “It went down?”
- Saldaña acknowledged the milestone in an Instagram video, thanking directors including James Cameron, J. J. Abrams, the Russo brothers, and James Gunn, and she praised fans while hoping the next record-breaker is also a woman.
- Coverage cites differing cumulative figures depending on methodology, with reports placing Saldaña around $15.47 billion per Variety or near $16.9 billion in other tallies, with Johansson narrowly trailing in each.
- Analyses note franchise-heavy résumés drive the rankings, with Saldaña’s Avatar, MCU, and Star Trek roles contrasted with Johansson’s MCU entries plus hits such as Jurassic World Rebirth.
- Context for the joke included Jost’s own lifetime box office of about $488 million, per The Numbers, which outlets highlighted as the punchline to the segment.