Zoe Saldaña was born in New Jersey and grew up in the Dominican Republic, finding a love for performance art at an early age. She starred in several theatrical productions as a child, and found love in ballet. Her dance background would ultimately help her score her first major movie role in Center Stage, which steadily resulted in her career ascending, winning roles in several more films.

Following Center Stage, Saldaña scored roles in several notable films, from Crossroads to The Terminal to Guess Who. 2009, in particular, proved a pivotal year for the actress, who starred in two major sci-fi action franchises: James Cameron’s Avatar and J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek reboot. Saldaña has since made a name for herself as an action movie star, joining the MCU and becoming, per Geek Tyrant, the only actor ever to star in two movies that grossed over $2 billion. With Avatar: The Way of Water releasing later this year, now’s the perfect time to look back at Zoe Saldana’s best action movies, ranked.

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6 Colombiana

     EuropaCorp

Colombiana sees Saldaña in the leading role of Cataleya, a killer who leaves a signature lipstick mark on all her victims. Her murderous ways can be traced back to her traumatic experiences at the hands of gang violence when she was growing up in Colombia, which involved witnessing the murders of her parents. She seeks to avenge her parent’s deaths, and Saldaña’s performance carries the film. Despite the film’s negative review, Colombiana was the perfect showcase for the actress to display her action heroine chops.

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

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MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

5 The Adam Project

     Netflix

The Adam Project was released in 2022 and was directed by Shawn Levy (who is also the director of Stranger Things). The Netflix film stars Ryan Reynolds, Saldaña, Jennifer Garner, and Mark Ruffalo in a sci-fi, time-travel story about the titular Adam who accidentally travels to his past and must team up with his younger self in order to prevent future tragedies from occurring. Saldaña plays Adam’s wife at a pivotal moment in the overall plots of the film.

4 Star Trek

     Paramount Pictures

Star Trek came out in 2009 and was a reboot of the famed sci-fi franchise under the direction of J.J Abrams. The film starred Saldaña as Lt. Nyota Uhura, Chris Pine as Captain James T. Kirk, and Zachary Quinto as Spock. The film was a huge success, spawning two sequels and bringing in huge revenue at the box office. For the sequels, Saldaña’s role as Uhura was considerably expanded. Though rumors of a Star Trek 4 have swirled the internet, per Den of Geek, Paramount Pictures has officially removed it from its release schedule.

3 Guardians of the Galaxy

     Marvel Studios

Guardians of the Galaxy saw Saldaña take one a leading role in the MCU. The film was written by James Gunn and Nicole Perlman and saw the MCU expand into outer space territory. Based on the lesser known Marvel Comics, Guardians of the Galaxy sees Chris Pratt as Peter Quill/Star Lord who leads a team of quirky heroes that includes Saldaña’s Gamora, Bradley Cooper’s Rocket Raccoon, Vin Diesel’s Groot, and Dave Bautista’s Drax. The movie became a huge hit, raising the Guardians’ popularity among Marvel fans. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is slated for release in 2023.

2 Avengers: Endgame

Avengers: Endgame was released in 2019 and became one of the most successful movies in history. A culmination of the MCU’s Infinity Saga, Endgame was directed by Anthony and Joe Russo and brought together all the MCU franchises for a final epic showdown against Thanos. Saldaña reprises her role as Gamora, though she plays a version of the character from the past.

1 Avatar

     20th Century Studios

Avatar is one of the most successful films in history, directed by James Cameron. Avatar broke the record for the highest-grossing film in history, previously held by another Cameron film, Titanic. The film tells the story of a Marine named Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) who is tasked with observing the Na’vi species on planet Pandora. Saldaña plays Neytiri, a native who shows Jake the way of her people. The film’s sequel is set to release this year, and it marks Saldaña’s best performance in an action movie.