There’s arguably no more proven way for an actor to carve their name into the annals of popular culture right now than appearing in a major movie or television franchise. This often allows them to reprise their role, compounding their chances of critical, commercial, and overall career success. In some cases, there’s even a built-in fan base to further elevate the performer’s profile. With that being said, it’s also worth noting that many of these individuals earned their sterling franchise reputations without a lick of help, their breakout performance serving as the foundation for some ofcinema’s highest-grossing franchises.
However, Hollywood’s numerous franchises mean that appearing in just one standout movie series or television show isn’t enough to earn an actor royalty alone. From cinematicicons like Harrison Fordto modern standouts withimpressive careers like Zoe Saldaña,the undisputed kings and queens of movie franchisesare the individuals who are virtually synonymous with their parent series at this point in proceedings.
10Zoe Saldana
Notable Franchise Appearances: Avatar, MCU, Pirates of the Caribbean, & Star Trek
A prominent staple of popular culture for the better part of two decades,Zoe Saldaña is one of Hollywood’s highest-grossing actors, boasting credits in four of the seven highest-grossing movies ever made. Unsurprisingly, this comes about courtesy of appearances in some of the biggest movie franchises of all time, which began with a minor role as Anamaria in 2003’sPirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.
“It’s A Gift”: Avatar’s Zoe Saldaña Emotionally Reflects On Playing Neytiri Across 5 Movies (& For Over 2 Decades)
Avatar’s Zoe Saldaña reflects on playing Neytiri across five movies and for over two decades, calling it “a gift” to work with James Cameron.
Saldaña wouldn’t reprise her role in the wildly successful Disney franchise, but frankly, it didn’t matter. 2009 proved to be a huge year for the actress as she starred in the acclaimedStar Trekreboot and the box-office titan,Avatar, reprising her roles in both behemoth franchises' respective sequels.Further emphasizing Saldaña’s status as a franchise queen,all of this took place before the performance that she is arguably most synonymous with to this day, playing the extraterrestrial assassin, Gamora, in five separate MCU appearances between 2014 and 2023.
9Oscar Isaac
Notable Franchise Appearances: Star Wars, X-Men, Spider-Man, MCU, & Dune
Despite several well-received supporting roles that preceded his name-making appearance, it’s remarkable to think that Oscar Isaac’s breakout performance in 2013’sInside Llewyn Daviswas just over a decade ago. The actor has gone on to form an integral thread of modern popular culture’s tapestry since the formative days of his career, turning in bows in some of the biggest movie franchises of the 21st century.
Oscar Isaac sings and plays his own instruments throughout his breakout turn in 2013’sInside Llewyn Davis.
Isaac’s starring role as the fan-favorite Resistance fighter pilot, Poe Dameron,in theStar Warssequel trilogysaw him earn global recognition, which subsequently led to roles in theDune,X-Men, andSpider-Manfranchises. He can even do television too, turning in his debut MCU performance as the eponymous character in 2022’s miniseries,Moon Knight.
8Pedro Pascal
Notable Franchise Appearances: Game Of Thrones, Star Wars, The Last Of Us, DCEU, Kingsman, & MCU
Pedro Pascal has turned inmore franchise appearances in the space of just over a decadethan most A-Listers manage throughout a career.Bursting out with an acclaimed bow as Oberyn Martell on HBO’s global mega-hit fantasy series,Game of Thrones, Pascal would add starring roles as Din Djarin and Joel Miller inStar Wars’first live-action series,The Mandalorian,and HBO’s adaptation of Naughty Dog’sThe Last of Us,respectively, underlining his status as a front-runner for acting’s current franchise kingpin.
2025 Is The Year Of Pedro Pascal & It Officially Begins Next Week
Pedro Pascal will kick off one of his best years yet with Freaky Tales, followed by The Fantastic Four, The Last of Us, and a lot more.
However, television’s typecast adoptive father figure has proven himself more than capable of turning his hand to feature-length movies as well; the Chilean-American has also been credited with roles in blockbuster franchise entries likeKingsman,The Equalizer, and the DC Extended Universe since 2014. Pascal is also set to make his highly-anticipated MCU debut asMister Fantastic in 2025’sThe Fantastic Four: First Steps, rubber-stamping his credentials as franchise acting royalty.
7Andy Serkis
Notable Franchise Appearances: The Lord of the Rings, Planet of the Apes, Star Wars, MCU, & Batman
In addition to his reputation as a cinematic franchise king, Andy Serkis is regarded as legitimate royalty when it comes to motion capture work. Serkis remains the Muhammad Ali of the field to this day, with the Englishman credited with the vast majority of cinema’s most iconic examples. Earning widespread acclaim for his performance as Gollum in Peter Jackson’sThe Lord of the Ringstrilogy, Serkis' take on “Smeagol” proved to be a watershed moment for his career.
Andy Serkis based Gollum’s sounds on the noises that his cat made while throwing up hairballs.
WithThe Lord of the Ringsserving as his springboard into the mainstream, the actor was cast as the main character, Caesar, in thePlanet of the Apesreboot series. Serkis would flesh out his franchise credentials with supporting roles in theStar Warssequel trilogy andAndor,as well as reprising his role as Gollum in the first installment ofThe Hobbittrilogy. He isn’t just a motion capture actor either, following his work as Ulysses Klaue in the MCU with a prominent supporting role in 2022’sThe Batmanas Alfred Pennyworth.
6Ming Na-Wen
Notable Franchise Appearances: Mulan, Star Wars, MCU, Stargate, The Karate Kid, & The Big Bang Theory
For decades now,Ming-Na Wenhas built up one of the most impressive resumes in Hollywood.Already known for her role in the long-running medical seriesE.R., Wen introduced herself to global audiences through her leading voice-over performance as the titular character in the 1998 Disney classic,Mulan,as well as its 2004 sequel.
New Karate Kid Movie Casts Disney Legend Ming-Na Wen In Mystery Role
Ming-Na Wen, who is known for prominent Disney roles among many others, joins the cast of the upcoming 2024 Karate Kid movie opposite Ralph Macchio.
Since then, she has played and voiced the live-action and animated version of bounty hunter, Fennec Shand, across several differentStar Warsfranchise series, underlining her impressive list of sci-fi credits with a starring role as Camile Wray onStargate Universe. Wen also formed a prominent part of the main cast for Marvel’sAgents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,playing Agent Melinda May, throughout the show’s run. Throw in a cameo onThe Big Bang Theory’sspin-off,Young Sheldon,and an upcoming bow in2025’sKarate Kid: Legends, and there are few actresses with franchise credits to rival her.
5Harrison Ford
Notable Franchise Appearances: Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Blade Runner, MCU, Jack Ryan, & Yellowstone
A cinematic legend of the highest order,Harrison Ford is one of popular culture’s first true franchise kings.The actor is credited with some of the most beloved, influential, and acclaimed movie heroes of all time, a state of affairs that began all the way back in 1977, when he was cast as the roguish smuggler, Han Solo, in George Lucas' epic space opera,Star Wars.Ford would reprise this iconic role on four separate occasions in various sequels, but he was just getting started.
Forget Red Hulk, Harrison Ford’s Best 2025 Role Is In This TV Show That’s Currently Streaming
Harrison Ford just made his superhero debut in a massive way, but his most exciting performance of the year is currently airing on television.
The actor is also renowned for playing the titular action-adventure legend in five separateIndiana Jonesmovies, as well as Rick Deckard in both entries of the seminal sci-fi franchise,Blade Runner,and Tom Clancy’s iconic character Jack Ryan in two different movies. Ford hasn’t let old age slow him down either, branching into television with a starring role inYellowstone’sprequel series,1923, before returning to movie franchises for his first appearance in the MCU, playing President Thaddeus Ross in 2025’sCaptain America: Brave New World.
4Sylvester Stallone
Notable Franchises: Rocky, Rambo, The Expendables, MCU, & DCEU
One of cinema’s longest-standing franchise kings, Sylvester Stallone’s work as the titular pugilist in theRockyfranchise arguably renders him worthy of the title in and of itself. “Sly” has played “The Italian Stallion” on seven occasions, even bringing the character out of retirement for two of Michael B. Jordan’sCreedfilms. However, Stallone is also notorious for his role as the eponymous soldier intheRambomovies, a character that he has returned to across five entries.
Sylvester Stallone is one of only two actors in history to have starred in a box office-topping film across six consecutive decades, alongside Harrison Ford.
The Academy Award nominee has also spearheadedThe Expendablesaction series as Barney Ross across four movies, although 2023’s4xpendablesmade it clear that this was a character intended for the scrap heap. Still, that’s far from the end of Stallone’s franchise credits. The American’s foray into the DCEU as King Shark in 2021’sThe Suicide Squadis one of his most memorable recent roles, while he’s also popped up briefly on multiple occasions in the MCU as the Ravager, Stakor Ogord.
3Jason Statham
Notable Franchises: Fast & Furious, Transporter, Crank, The Meg, Mechanic, & The Expendables
A top contender for modern cinema’s action franchise kingpin,Jason Statham has few legitimate rivals for the title. Thefrequent Guy Ritchie collaboratoris the leading man of numerous high-profile action series, dating from the early 2000s to the present day. Accordingly, multiple appearances in action series standouts likeThe Mechanic,Crank, andTransporterdon’t even account for all the Englishman’s starring franchise roles.
I’ve Seen Every Jason Statham Movie & Operation Fortune: Ruse De Guerre Is His Most Underrated Film
Operation Fortune: Ruse de guerre is Guy Ritchie’s 13th film and the exact reason why you can’t always trust Rotten Tomatoes when it comes to scores.
To slightly more modern audiences, Statham’s most high-profile appearances are arguably his turns inThe ExpendablesandFast & Furious. The Englishman’s knife-toting Lee Christmas appears primed to take over Sylvester Stallone’s role at the head of the franchise if there is ever to be anotherExpendablesouting, while Statham is also credited with multiple appearances and even his own standalone movie alongside Dwayne Johnson in the long-runningFast & Furiousseries.
2Sigourney Weaver
Notable Franchises: Alien, Ghostbusters, Avatar, MCU, & Star Wars
A first-ballotsci-fi Hall of Famer, Sigourney Weaver possesses some of the most impressive movie franchise credits in popular culture. This began with her star-making turn as Ellen Ripley in theAlienseries, with Weaver going on to play the character on four occasions. The American followed her work in 1979’sAlienwith a first appearance as Dana Barrett in 1984’s cult classicGhostbusters, reprising the role in 1989’s sequel and returning for a cameo in 2021’sGhostbusters: Afterlife.
Weaver’s next colossal credit came with dual roles in theAvatarfranchise, playing a human colonist in 2009’s original installment and a Na’vi child born from her avatar in 2022’s sequel. However, she decidedly didn’t rest on her laurels. Complementing a brief appearance in the MCU’s miniseriesThe Defenders,Weaver is even set to make herStar Warsdebut in 2026, playing an undisclosed role in the upcoming film,The Mandalorian & Grogu.
1Samuel L. Jackson
Notable Franchises: MCU, Star Wars, Die Hard, Incredibles, Monsterverse, Kingsman, & Jurassic Park
Samuel L. Jackson remains the highest-grossing actor of all timeto this day, so it should come as little surprise that he is universally regarded as cinematic franchise royalty. The actor’s most frequently recurring role has been that of Nick Fury in the MCU, with Jackson having played the character in ten movies and three television series to date. However, that’s just the tip of the iceberg, with the American also boasting credits in wildly popular entries like Zeus Carver inDie Hard with a Vengeanceor Mace Windu in theStar Warsprequel trilogy.
Samuel L. Jackson’s 10 Greatest Movie Deaths, Ranked
From Goodfellas to The Other Guys, Samuel L. Jackson’s most iconic characters have a habit of biting the dust onscreen in unforgettable fashion.
Fleshing out his later career with villainous appearances in more modern numbers likeKingsman: The Secret ServiceandKong: Skull Islandto add their parent franchises to his already impressive list of credits,Jackson is one of cinema’s most prolific and revered franchise performers.Few names can give Samuel L. Jackson a legitimate run for his money in this regard, highlighting his remarkable popularity and lasting impact on wider popular culture.
