During the early years of Bam Margera’s career as a skateboarding TV icon, the MTV shows Jackass and Viva la Bam were his claim to fame. When it came to the rowdy funsters in the Dickhouse Productions family, there were tons of stunts, pranks and shenanigans that fans continue to talk about. That was until a rift formed in the wake of Margera’s dismissal from Jackass Forever; which based on the comments the man himself shared with CinemaBlend, sounds like a permanent fixture.
The Fallout From Jackass Forever Is Still Strong With Bam Margera
I had the privilege of speaking with Bam Margera to discuss his inclusion as the “secret skater” in Activision’s new remake of Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3+4. During our chat, the subject of whether he could return to either of his hit MTV shows seemed ripe for discussion, especially in the wake of successful reboots such as Jersey Shore: Family Vacation.
While the media personality didn’t seem too adverse to reprising the stunt/prank angle of Jackass, a reunion with Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, and the rest of the OG crew was flat out off the table. Margera shared with me why this is is the case, with the following explanation:
They have like new dudes, and what they did to me, making me go to treatment and paying for it, and then not putting me in a movie, and, you know, I had to go to court over it and I just, you couldn’t offer me enough money to want to do another Jackass with them. The damage has been done.
In previous interviews, Margera’s concern over the Jackass legacy has squarely been linked to his feelings towards Johnny Knoxville and director Jeff Tremaine. As mentioned above, the huge sticking point to Margera’s feud and eventually settled legal battle with his former colleagues was his supposed coercion into a rehab program.
With so much bad blood over such a short span of time, it doesn’t seem like there will be any sort of Jackass revival or reunion of any kind with Bam Margera present. Thankfully, the reasons why the Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3+4 star won’t be bringing Viva la Bam back are not the result of any sort of falling-out.
A Viva La Bam Revival Is Equally Unlikely, And I Agree With Bam Margera’s Reason Why
Though people still hold some of the most stomach-churning Jackass stunts in high regard, highlights from Bam Margera’s solo series are also part of the conversation. Which is a good time to mention that there is no way Viva la Bam is going to return. In this case you can just chalk it up the results to getting older and wiser, as seen in Margera’s answer about that hypothetical revival:
I just feel like that type of show has completely run its course. Living with my parents, and painting the whole kitchen blue, and having my mom freak out – to end something like that, and then your life moves on, you get your own house, with your own wife and you have a kid, it would be like … if we did a Viva la Bam [reboot] , I would have to move back in with my parents and re-mess with ’em after giving them a 15-year break. It would just be weird.
For now, Bam Margera is happy to be skateboarding again, trying to get in at least a trick a day. At the same time, Margera’s candor on his struggles, Jackass or otherwise, feels like another important component to his sobriety journey.
That sort of mentality helped him land his return to the world of video games, and helped he mend fences in his friendship with Tony Hawk. Maybe his new routine will inspire some sort of new venture down the line, but for now you can unlock and play as Bam Margera in Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3+4, which is currently available on all major gaming platforms.
