Arnold Schwarzenegger goes for bike ride sporting a face mask inspired by The Terminator

He has enjoyed decades of immense success as a formidable cybernetic time-travelling android in the hit Terminator film franchise.

And Arnold Schwarzenegger, 72, was spotted taking something of a trip down memory lane on Friday, when he enjoyed a bike ride sporting a face mask emblazoned with the words ‘we’ll be back’, inspired by his character.

In keeping with safety guidelines amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Austrian-born screen star kept his face covered with the black customised protective gear as he visited a local coffee shop in Brentwood, California.

Sporting a grey top and black shorts, the former Governor of California wrapped up in a navy quilted jacket, while he shielded his eyes with a pair of stylish sunglasses.

The following day, Arnold took to his Instagram account to reveal that the masks – inspired by his character’s famous line ‘I’ll be back’ – are being sold to benefit his After-School All-Stars charity.

Captioning a shot of himself as he posed in the mask on Santa Monica State Beach, he wrote: ‘We’ll be back. We will get through this together.

‘If you want to protect yourself in style and help feed @afterschoolallstars families, get your mask now at the link in bio.’

Formed in 2002, After-School All-Stars is a non-profit organisation that partners with schools across the US to expand the learning day for low-income children.

According to the charity, it currently serves some 92,000 students across 10 states.

He’s also used his platform to reinforce responsible social guidelines amid the worldwide effort to quell the spread of COVID-19, and encourage others to lend a hand where they can amid the uncertain times.

He recently sent 1,000 meals from the restaurant Buca di Beppo to healthcare workers treating coronavirus patients at the USC Keck School of Medicine.

In a clip he posted about the gesture, he said he was moved by the efforts of the ‘unbelievable’ healthcare workers and wanted to do ‘something special’ for them.

He said he called the restaurant and encouraged them to prepare enough food to feed the brave workers on the front lines of the pandemic.

Schwarzenegger didn’t stray to far from his fitness roots, as he said he encouraged the Italian caterer to ‘make sure that there is enough protein – the chicken, the pasta’ – and vegetables on hand to nourish the hardworking hospital staff.

He’s also been involved in an effort called the Frontline Responders Fund, which aided in the acquisition of 60,000 surgical masks, 34,000 gloves, and 2,000 surgical gowns for healthcare workers.

‘I never believed in sitting on the couch and complaining about how bad things are, I always believed we should all do our part to make things better,’ he said in a social media post detailing the fundraiser.

‘This is a simple way to protect our real action heroes on the frontlines in our hospitals, and I’m proud to be part of it. I donated 1 million dollars, and I hope that all of you who can will step up to support these heroes.’

Arnold sealed his position as one of Hollywood’s top tough guys in 1984, when he made his debut as the titular character in The Terminator.

The film went on to become a huge international hit and launch the career of director James Cameron.

To date, the film has spawned a further five films, including last year’s Terminator: Dark Fate.