For decades, Saturday Night Live has served as a farm system for Hollywood’s box-office heavyweights. But the way we measure that success has changed. It’s no longer just about the “studio comedy” that pulls in a respectable $100 million. In the modern era of global franchises, billion-dollar blockbusters, and massive animated hits, SNL alumni are taking center stage in the biggest cinematic events in history.
From the raucous 1980s dominance of Eddie Murphy to the voice-over empires of the 2010s, the “SNL effect” on the global box office is a multi-billion dollar phenomenon. If you’ve ever doubted the show’s power to produce genuine movie stars, just look at the numbers.
The Billion-Dollar Club
The landscape of SNL movie stardom shifted dramatically in the 2010s and 2020s. For a long time, the benchmark for success was Murphy’s Beverly Hills Cop and 48 Hrs., or Mike Myers’ Austin Powers, films that defined their eras but didn’t quite hit the ten-figure mark. Today, the list of SNL-starring films is dominated by massive franchise players.
Robert Downey Jr., who spent a single, often-forgotten season on SNL in the mid-80s, is the gold standard, anchoring the Marvel Cinematic Universe to world-record heights. Then there is the “Barbie” phenomenon of 2023, which saw Will Ferrell and Kate McKinnon playing pivotal roles in a film that became a cultural and financial juggernaut.
Even in the world of animation, SNL’s DNA is everywhere. Whether it’s Bill Hader in Finding Dory or Kristen Wiig in the Despicable Me series, the comedic timing honed in Studio 8H translates perfectly to the global language of animated hits.
The Top 10 Highest-Grossing Films
The following table tracks the highest-grossing films featuring an SNL cast member in a starring or primary supporting role. To keep this focused on their impact as performers, we have prioritized films where the alum is a central figure in the marketing or narrative.
| Rank | Film Title | SNL Alum(s) | Global Box Office (USD) |
| 1 | Avengers: Endgame | Robert Downey Jr. | $2.799 Billion |
| 2 | Avengers: Infinity War | Robert Downey Jr. | $2.052 Billion |
| 3 | The Avengers | Robert Downey Jr. | $1.520 Billion |
| 4 | Barbie | Will Ferrell, Kate McKinnon | $1.446 Billion |
| 5 | Avengers: Age of Ultron | Robert Downey Jr. | $1.405 Billion |
| 6 | The Super Mario Bros. Movie | Fred Armisen | $1.362 Billion |
| 7 | Iron Man 3 | Robert Downey Jr. | $1.215 Billion |
| 8 | Minions | Laraine Newman (Voice) | $1.159 Billion |
| 9 | Captain America: Civil War | Robert Downey Jr. | $1.155 Billion |
| 10 | Toy Story 4 | Joan Cusack, Bill Hader | $1.073 Billion |
It’s impossible to discuss the financial legacy of SNL without acknowledging Downey Jr. While his tenure on the show (infamous Season 11) is frequently cited as one of the show’s worst years, his post-show recovery and eventual ascension as the face of the MCU changed the economics of the industry. His role as Tony Stark accounts for over half of this top ten list, proving that the SNL “rejection” can often be the fuel for a massive comeback.
The inclusion of Armisen and Hader in the billion-dollar bracket highlights a crucial trend: the transition from sketch performer to voice-over royalty. Armisen’s role as Cranky Kong in The Super Mario Bros. Movie tapped into a global nostalgia that transcended traditional comedy demographics. Similarly, Hader’s work in Finding Dory and Toy Story 4 shows that SNL performers are often the first choice for major studios looking to add character and wit to high-stakes animation.
The Comedy Event Barbie remains the most significant entry for fans of the “traditional” SNL path. Seeing Will Ferrell and Kate McKinnon share the screen in the highest-grossing film of 2023 was a passing of the torch. It proved that even in an era dominated by superheroes, a well-crafted, SNL-inflected comedy can still rule the world.
RELATED: Will Ferrell ranks in top 5 all-time among SNL cast members
As we look toward the future of Season 51, the stakes have never been higher. With alums like Bowen Yang and Cecily Strong landing major roles in upcoming 2026 features, this table could be reshuffled again very soon.
