20 Greatest Performances In Superhero Movies

Terrence Stamp may not be the most statuesque or intense of actors, but he was a brilliant pick for Superman's Kryptonian foe Zod, bringing a hilarious idiosyncrasy to the part that actually made him pretty difficult to outright despise.

It takes a special kind of actor to carry off the character's rather eccentric costume choice, but when he's busy spitting unforgettable lines like "Kneel before Zod", it's tough not to be enamoured with his presence.

While Michael Shannon's performance as the character in Man Of Steel was itself pretty great (even if he didn't say "the line"), Stamp's rendition is just too iconic to beat. His chemistry with Christopher Reeve is terrific, and he brings a rare stoic quality to the superhero genre, free of hamminess and overt theatricality.