S1E31 - Superman II (1980): Kneel Before Reagan

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Marxists at the Movies
Superman II (1980): Kneel Before Reagan

The making of Superman II was almost as messy as a Kryptonian fistfight in downtown Metropolis. From Richard Donner’s abrupt firing to Richard Lester’s rewrites, the chaos behind the scenes reflected a bigger story: how America’s most iconic superhero became a vessel for conservative mythmaking in the Reagan years.

And now, with the recent death of Terence Stamp, this episode also serves as a tribute. His performance as General Zod is one of cinema’s most deliciously commanding villains — equal parts Shakespearean gravitas and pop-culture camp. With a single arched eyebrow and the immortal line “Kneel before Zod,” Stamp turned authoritarian menace into cultural legend.

Join Edward Michael Francis as we dig into Superman II not just as campy blockbuster, but as an ideological battleground. What does it mean when a hero kneels before authority instead of challenging it? And why does this matter to our cultural history today?

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