‘Captain America: Brave New World’ is finally good for something as it helps Harrison Ford triumph over Johnny Depp

With awful reviews and a box office haul that’s hemorrhaged sales since its opening weekend, Captain America: Brave New World tragically didn’t get much right, but maybe it’s easier to appreciate if we think of it as a Harrison Ford movie rather than a Marvel movie. It’s certainly keen to play with Ford’s long Hollywood history, with his turn as President Ross consciously evoking the last time he played a POTUS, in 1990s classic Air Force One.

Sure enough, as it struggles to break even financially, Brave New World is unlikely to shake any feathers when it comes to MCU milestones (but at least it’s not bottoming out like The Marvels either). On the other hand, thanks to his involvement in this middling Marvel offering, Ford has just earned himself a significant boost that allows him to sail past Johnny Depp when it comes to the highest-grossing actors of all time.

Harrison Ford is now a higher-grossing actor than Johnny Depp thanks to Brave New World

Screenshot via Marvel Studios

If we ever wondered why a venerable movie star like Harrison Ford would ever agree to don a onesie studded with golf balls and make grunting noises all day long in order to play Red Hulk, the beloved curmudgeon made that abundantly clear on the film’s press tour. When asked by Variety, he admitted he was more than willing to be “an idiot for money, which I’ve done before.” Well, that attitude has served him well as Brave New World has ended up doing Ford a big solid.

According to TheNumbers‘ league table of the highest-grossing actors in film history, Ford is all set to move up a ranking thanks to Cap 4‘s ongoing earnings. As of the time of writing, the 82-year-old icon is just $11 million behind Johnny Depp, which means he’ll soon switch places with the Pirates of the Caribbean alum as Brave New World will undoubtedly make more than that across its third weekend at the box office.

So where will this place Ford in the rankings? Surprisingly low, in actual fact. Following this weekend, Ford will rise to 44th position on the chart, putting Depp into 45th, based on a total career gross of $10,852,899,702. Unsurprisingly, circa 99% of the actors above Ford in the ranking hail from the MCU as well, with many performers of considerably less fame outflanking him due to their multiple Marvel appearances — e.g. Benedict Wong (38) and Paul Bettany (20). The ultimate proof that a Marvel gig is the way to bump up your career gross? In the number one position, making him the highest-grossing actor of all time, is none other than MCU cameo mainstay Stan Lee. Excelsior!

Clearly, Depp needs to get himself a role in the Marvel multiverse if he hopes to climb back over Ford in the rankings. Such a development isn’t even necessarily as impossible as it once seemed, given that the Fantastic Beasts veteran is set to make a major Hollywood comeback in upcoming action-thriller Day Drinker alongside Penelope Cruz. Meanwhile, if Ford wants to make it into the top 40 he may want to bug Kevin Feige into slipping Red Hulk into Avengers: Doomsday. With any luck, the man’s not done being an idiot for money yet.