Tom Holland was expected to be the de facto ruler of the 2026 box office thanks to his upcoming collaborations with Marvel Studios and Christopher Nolan, but his own significant other, Zendaya, could give him a run for his money. Holland hasn’t appeared in a theatrical movie since he played Nathan Drake in 2022’s Uncharted. But he’s about to come back to the silver screen in a big, bad way next year, with major roles in three of 2026’s most highly anticipated blockbusters.
On May 1, 2026, Holland will return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as part of the sprawling ensemble cast of Avengers: Doomsday. Then, on July 17, he’ll embark on an incredible journey on IMAX screens in Nolan’s upcoming adaptation of Homer’s The Odyssey. Then, to cap off an unbelievable summer, on July 31, his fourth solo Spider-Man movie will be released. With this triple whammy, Holland was expected to dominate the 2026 box office — but now, that’s not so certain.
Zendaya’s Shrek 5 Casting Means She Could Beat Tom Holland At The 2026 Box Office
Shrek 5 Is A Guaranteed Hit
With his appearances in The Odyssey, Spider-Man 4, and Avengers 5, Holland was expected to easily become the highest-grossing actor of 2026. But Zendaya will also be in The Odyssey and Spider-Man 4 — and now, she’s confirmed to be in Shrek 5, too. The recently released teaser for Shrek 5 confirmed Zendaya’s casting as Shrek and Fiona’s daughter. The long-awaited Shrek 5 is set to finally hit theaters on December 23 next year, and if it outgrosses the Avengers (which is a very real possibility), then Zendaya will top Holland to become the highest-grossing actor of the year.
What Are Shrek 5’s Chances Of Outgrossing Avengers: Doomsday?
Doomsday Could Be The First Avengers Movie Not To Gross $1 Billion
Whether or not Zendaya will beat Holland to become the top-grossing actor of 2026 will depend on whether or not Shrek 5 can gross more than Avengers 5. If the MCU still had the same popularity and box office draw that it had when the last two Avengers films came out, then Shrek 5 probably wouldn’t stand a chance. But the MCU’s popularity has waned significantly throughout the so-called “Multiverse Saga.” There have been some huge hits in that time, like Spider-Man: No Way Home and ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine, but the franchise has mostly underperformed in recent years.
If the MCU still had the same popularity and box office draw that it had when the last two Avengers films came out, then Shrek 5 probably wouldn’t stand a chance. But the MCU’s popularity has waned significantly throughout the so-called “Multiverse Saga.”
The main draw of the previous Avengers movies was Robert Downey, Jr.’s Iron Man and Chris Evans’ Captain America, but the MCU doesn’t even have an established Avengers team right now. If Avengers: Doomsday is met with a mixed reception, it could be the first Avengers movie not to crack $1 billion. Shrek 5 is set to arrive on December 23, tapping into the lucrative holiday market, and the Shrek franchise has plenty of nostalgic goodwill from a demographic with a lot of spare time and disposable income, so Zendaya’s animated sequel could easily outgross Avengers 5.
