With Jackass Forever now available on home video and finding more fans, there's a clear reason why the franchise remains as popular as it does.

More than a decade after the release of the previous Jackass feature film, Jackass Forever arrived in theaters in early February 2022 and was a huge success, showing the franchise's enduring popularity. This fourth theatrical installment in the stunt-driven series, which originated on television with an MTV reality show in 2000, Jackass Forever exceeded box office expectations despite the brand being out of the limelight for many years. Lead prankster Johnny Knoxville returned to emcee the movie, joined by fellow Jackass veterans Steve-O, Chris Pontius, Wee Man, and others. Additionally, in the spirit of every Hollywood sequel passing the torch, Jackass Forever introduces new blood (in some cases literally), including Jasper Dolphin, Rachel Wolfson, and Zach Holmes.

With the latest Jackass sequel now streaming for subscribers on Paramount+ and newly available to own in 4K UHD, the popularity of the movie, and the franchise in general, is sure to rise. In recent months, there has been talk of there possibly being another movie and/or continuing the Jackass franchise in a new television show. The cast is doing more press for the home video release and promising that Jackass truly is going to last forever. "There's no end for Jackass," Wee Man (a.k.a. Jason Acuña) told Slashfilm recently while franchise regular Preston Lacy shared that even the original gang has been asked to stick around at least until they're in their late sixties, a la the Three Stooges when they finally retired.

Wee Man boasted the franchise "has been around before YouTube, so if you think about it, we've been doing this before everybody else." That's one reason for its longevity up until now and what could be a lasting factor going forward. Just like with any brand that's been around a long time, Jackass is it when it comes to shows and movies of its kind. Jackass is the Coca-Cola of prankster media. How else could a feature like Jackass Forever draw millions of Americans to theaters when that audience could easily just stay home and watch similar stunts and practical jokes for free on YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, and elsewhere online?

Jackass benefits in having name recognition and star power. There's a reason Knoxville broke out successfully as a movie actor. He and his crew have charisma that makes them enjoyable screen idols, not just random people injuring themselves for laughs. They are also open-minded, unashamed, inclusive, and positive, so they're beloved by a wide array of viewers from all walks of life. They also knew to recruit the best of the next generation, as in the case of new additions Wolfson, the first female cast member, whom Knoxville personally enlisted off of Instagram, and Holmes, who started out posting his own stunts on YouTube before breaking out with the Jackass-like MTV series Too Stupid to Die. The gang knows better than to just depend on their own preeminence and enduring familiarity, too. Paramount marketed heavily on TikTok and other youth-oriented platforms, and the theater crowd for Jackass Forever wound up being predominantly younger than those fans who had been around since the start of the Jackass phenomenon.

Surely there are diehards for whom Jackass will always be about Knoxville, Steve-O, and the rest of the old guard. And those fans will wind up retiring along with the original crew, someday. To others, and for future fans yet to come, Jackass is a distinctive brand that comes with a certain tone and level of quality, which Knoxville and the rest are maintaining through the new legacy recruits and their own continued involvement as long as they're able. They also simply have the greatest budget for this sort of thing, and it shows in the production value on screen. If they ensure that Jackass will always be a franchise not just made up of stupidly willing stunt performers but artists who together exhibit appreciation for the filmmaking craft used to present their shenanigans as well as for their comedic, cinematic, and athletic roots, Jackass is sure to be popular forever.

Check out our interview with Danger Ehren & Dave England celebrating the home release here.

Next: Will Jackass 5 Happen? Why This Isn't The End