Legendary Superman villain actor Terence Stamp has died at the age of 87.
Stamp's family made the announcement of his death August 17, telling Reuters, "He leaves behind an extraordinary body of work, both as an actor and as a writer that will continue to touch and inspire people for years to come. We ask for privacy at this sad time."
His cause of death has not yet been made public.
It was back in 1978 in Superman: The Movie when Stamp first appeared on screen as General Zod, one of the franchise's most legendary villains. Zod is a Kryptonian military leader who at first clashed with Krypton's ruling council in an attempt to overthrow those in power.
However, Stamp really came to prominence as General Zod in 1980's Superman II when his character was highlighted as a main villain. In the film, Stamp's delivery of the line, "Kneel before Zod!" became one of the most famous phrases in the franchise's history.
Stamp returned to the world of Superman decades later when he voiced the character of Jor-El, Superman's father from Krypton, on Smallville from 2003-2007.
Stamp's career spanned decades, and he was also in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace in 1999 where he played Chancellor Finis Valorum, the leader before Palpatine.
At one point, he shared a living space with Michael Caine, who said, "In the sixties, everyone you knew became famous. My flatmate was Terence Stamp."
Stamp was also once in the running to succeed the role of James Bond after Sean Connery, but did not land the part. Among his other films were The Adjustment Bureau with Matt Damon in 2011, Valkyrie with Tom Cruise in 2008 and a range of Tim Burton projects.
Superman fans took to social media following the news of his death to remember Stamp and his work as General Zod, with many quoting the famous "Kneel before Zod!" line.