The quest for enhancing cryptographic security in the digital realm has led to a focus on optimizing the S-box within block ciphers, particularly for image encryption. This paper presents a novel approach that integrates chaotic maps and an optimization algorithm to construct an S-box with enhanced non-linearity, aiming to fortify image encryption against various attacks. An S-box is generated by the fusion of tent and cubic chaotic maps, showcasing strong information integrity with an entropy value of approximately 7.9985. Moreover, the proposed method demonstrates robust resistance against differential attacks, with NPCR value of 99.70% and UACI value of 33.49%, both exceeding the typical thresholds. These results highlight the approach’s effectiveness in bolstering image encryption security, offering a promising solution for safeguarding digital imagery in an increasingly digitized world.