The couple on track to become most profitable box office stars of any year in history - The Independent

Couple could be about to enter the record books after their movies have made billions at the box office BookmarkCommentsGo to commentsBookmark popoverRemoved from bookmarks I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Zendaya and Tom Holland could cap off their phenomenal 2026 by becoming the most profitable box office actors in a single year in the history of Hollywood. The married couple are the current king and queen of the movie industry, helped by their appearances in two films that are dominating the global box office: Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey and Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) sequel Spider-Man: Brand New Day. In Nolan’s adaptation of the Homer poem, Holland plays Telemachus, the son of Matt Damon’s Odysseus, with Zendaya playing Athena, who serves as a spirit guide for Odysseus on his long journey home to Ithaca after the Trojan War. Holland plays Peter Parker in Brand New Day (he is into his 10th year playing the superhero), with Zendaya portraying his love interest, MJ. The Odyssey has exceeded high expectations by amassing $911.4m (£676.9m) in just over two weeks since its release. Meanwhile, Brand New Day – Holland’s fourth solo outing as the web-slinger – has made a staggering $927m (£688.5m) in its opening weekend alone. Its combined takings over the past three days provided Hollywood with its most successful weekend in history domestically, making $434m (£322.3m) overall. The Odyssey has become a cultural event that millions want to experience in IMAX, considering it’s the first film in history to be fully shot in the format. A new camera was specially created to ensure Nolan could shoot the quiet scenes of dialogue, having been unable to do so with his previous films because the camera in question was too loud. Meanwhile, not only is Spider-Man: Brand New Day the latest instalment in an MCU franchise that’s been typically well-reviewed to date, but it’s the last Marvel film before Avengers: Doomsday, the blockbuster-in-waiting bringing back all the old familiars – including former Iron Man actor Robert Downey Jr, who’ll play the film’s primary antagonist, Doctor Doom. It’ll also mark the arrival of key figures from the X-Men franchise in the MCU for the first time. But these films’ inclusion of Zendaya, 29, and Holland, 30, should not be overlooked as a reason for their success. They’ve been a force at red carpet premieres: Zendaya going viral for her fashion choices, and Holland’s loving reactions to his wife being perfect for viral content. The pair became close friends while filming Spider-Man: Homecoming in 2016, and started a relationship soon afterwards, keeping it private until they went Instagram official in 2021. In June 2026, Holland confirmed they were married in a private ceremony. While both actors currently have a box office total of $1,838.4bn (£1,365.4bn) with The Odyssey and Spider-Man Brand New Day, those films have legs and will continue to rake in serious dollars at the box office. But on top of this, Zendaya has The Drama to her name – one of studio A24’s most successful films to date – which made $132.5m (£98.4m) earlier this year. In December, she’ll extend her profits for the year with Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Three, which has the same IMAX pull as Nolan’s The Odyssey. Like Nolan’s film, it’s feasible it could make something in the region of $700m to $800m (£520m to 594.2m), depending on the reviews. As for Holland, there’s every chance he could show up in Avengers: Doomsday – although he’s currently unconfirmed. This year seems to hint at an end – or at least a temporary pause – to superhero fatigue, and Doomsday, like previous Avengers films, Infinity War and Endgame, will most likely smash past $1bn (£742.8m) at the box office. Of course, there’s a small possibility that Zendaya could even show up in Doomsday, playing MJ, which would see her overall profits rock past her husband’s by year’s end. The current victor for most box office profit in a single year is Samuel L Jackson, who amassed $6.4bn ($4,754.4bn) in 2019, helped by roles in Captain Marvel, Avengers: Endgame, Spider-Man: Far from Home and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. It’s worth noting that some of these were cameo appearances – he was barely in Endgame beyond a three-second cameo and, in the case of The Rise of Skywalker, his voice could be briefly heard. Shaving off his Rise of Skywalker takings, it brings Jackson’s overall amount to $2.5bn (£1,857bn). Holland himself is currently in second place with $4.367bn (£3,250.7bn), thanks to a 2019 run that included Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: Far from Home, with Scarlett Johansson in third place with $4.024bn (£2.989bn). With the continued successes of The Odyssey and Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and the forthcoming release of Dune: Part 3, it seems Zendaya could give Jackson a run for his money. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies