Bam Margera’s Ghost Haunts ‘Jackass: Best and Last’ Through Archive Footage in the Franchise’s Emotional Farewell

For over two decades, ‘Jackass’ has been a celebration of chaos, brotherhood, and the kind of pain that somehow becomes comedy. The franchise launched careers, built a loyal fanbase, and turned a group of self-destructive daredevils into unlikely cultural icons. As the series prepares to take its final bow, the emotional weight of everything left unresolved has crept into the conversation surrounding its send-off.

‘Jackass: Best and Last’ is the fifth and final installment in the film series, directed by Jeff Tremaine and produced alongside Spike Jonze and Johnny Knoxville. It blends newly shot stunts with greatest hits and never-before-seen footage, and has been positioned by Knoxville as the natural endpoint for the franchise, with no plans for a follow-up. The film landed in US theaters on June 26, 2026, and has already earned mostly warm reviews from critics who responded to its celebratory tone.

But the reunion is incomplete, and fans going in hoping to see Bam Margera back in action are in for a bittersweet experience. Margera’s presence in ‘Jackass: Best and Last’ comes entirely through never-before-seen archival footage from past productions, with no new stunts filmed for this installment. This is the first ‘Jackass’ movie where Margera did not film anything new, marking a significant absence for a franchise where he was once one of the most recognizable faces.

One of the more poignant moments the film restores involves a prank that was always meant to include him. The film revisits the “Silence of the Lambs” scene from ‘Jackass Forever,’ which involved cast members being locked in a dark room and tricked into thinking a rattlesnake was loose with them, featuring previously unseen footage of Margera that was cut from the 2022 release. It is the kind of inclusion that feels like both a tribute and a reminder of what might have been.

Knoxville told USA TODAY that the team reached out to Margera through a third party to secure permission to use the archival material, and that Margera approved but chose not to return for new footage, with Knoxville saying, “But he wasn’t ready, and we accept that and respect that,” adding, “I have nothing but love for Bam Bam.” Margera, for his part, has been candid about where he stands emotionally. He told TMZ in January that he carries significant trauma from how his firing unfolded, saying he is simply too hurt and has accepted that he no longer wants any involvement with the franchise going forward.

Margera appears to be sober as of 2026, with a recent Instagram post in which he revealed he had been sober for two years. His parents, Phil and April Margera, attended the Hollywood premiere in his place, with his mother April explaining that her son had considered returning for the film but found it too difficult, in part because of the grief still tied to the death of Ryan Dunn. Phil Margera indicated his son would be open to reconciling with former cast members, saying “I guarantee you they’re going to make up and they’re going to be awesome together.”

Whether the warmth from the premiere translates into a real reunion down the line remains an open question, but for now, archival footage is the closest ‘Jackass: Best and Last’ gets to making the whole crew whole again. If you grew up watching Bam at his most fearless, share whether you think archive footage does his legacy justice or if the franchise deserved one last proper goodbye with him in it.