Jackass Calls It Quits: The Stunt Crew's Emotional Final Ride

After 25 years of broken bones, bruised egos, and unapologetic absurdity, the Jackass crew is hanging up their stunts for good. Jackass: Best and Last, premiering globally on June 25, marks the fifth and final feature film from the collective that redefined what it meant to push the limits on camera—and it sounds like they’re going out on a surprisingly reflective note.

At the film’s London premiere on Monday, June 15, Johnny Knoxville, the 55-year-old ringleader, didn’t mince words about the decision.“Stuntmen and milk both have an expiration date, so I feel like it’s time to stop,”he said. That kind of matter-of-fact wisdom might sound out of place for a guy who’s made a career out of eating bugs and getting hit with sledgehammers, but Knoxville and director Jeff Tremaine have crafted something that blends the old shock-and-awe formula with genuine nostalgia. The film is roughly half new material—featuring escape rooms, electric balance beams, and yes, prostate exams—and half archival gold from their vaults, including stunts that were too wild to air or never made the cut.

What’s striking is how much the film dwells on mortality and friendship. Ryan Dunn, who died in 2011, appears in archival footage, and Knoxville described seeing those clips as genuinely emotional.“It’s like a biography of our lives, of our adult lives. This movie’s oddly emotional, especially for us,”he reflected. It’s a far cry from the reckless energy that defined the MTV series when it launched in October 2000—created by Knoxville, Tremaine, and Spike Jonze in the late 1990s—but it’s also honest. These guys have spent nearly three decades together, and that bond isn’t something you just leave on the cutting room floor.

Cast members including Steve-O, Chris Pontius, and Jason“Wee Man”Acuna return for the final hurrah, alongside an unexpected new addition: Larry the humanoid robot. (Yes, really.) Bam Margera, who was dismissed from the group in 2020, is represented through archival moments. Pontius, 51, summed up the bittersweet reality:“It’s sad that this will be the last‘Jackass’movie but we’ll still all be together.”He’s right—this isn’t a breakup. It’s a chapter closing while the book stays open. The crew plans to create together in other ways, because as he noted,“it’s very rare that you have this kind of chemistry between people.”

When asked about the group’s legacy, Knoxville punted—and gracefully.“That’s up to everybody else, but I think ultimately, aside from all the stunts and pranks and male nudity, I think it’s about friendship.”It’s a surprisingly grounded take from someone who’s spent his career in ridiculous situations, and it might be the most honest thing Jackass has ever said. All four previous Jackass films topped the U.S. box office at their release, so they’re leaving on top. More importantly, they’re leaving together.