India, July 8 -- The metric for measuring stardom is a tricky thing, but most agree that it directly relates to a star's drawing power - the ability to pull audiences to the theatres. And that translates into box office receipts. So, it stands to reason that the biggest stars will always be the highest-grossing. But with the emergence of ensemble films, franchises, and a multiversal cinematic universe, that has become murkier. So much so that the current highest-grossing actor in the world is a star who has never given a solo hit in their career.

As of July 7, the new highest-grossing actor of all time is Scarlett Johansson. The 40-year-old has starred in 52 films in lead or co-lead, which have collectively earned close to $15 billion at...