Since Activision announced Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4, fans have been wondering whether or not the game will include Brandon “Bam” Margera. The former Jackass star appeared in the original versions of both games, but there was speculation that Margera’s various personal and legal issues over the last few years might have led to his removal from the remasters. In a new episode of The Nine Club podcast (via Video Games Chronicle), co-host Roger Bagley claims that Activision had no desire to have Margera in the game, but Tony Hawk himself argued in favor of getting him back in.
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“The game was already done. Tony called up Activision and was like ‘hey, we’re putting Bam in the thing,’ and they were like ‘hey, we can’t.’ He goes ‘no, you’re gonna do it,’ and basically made them fly Bam back out there to get body-scanned and everything else, and get him back in the game,” says Bagley.
At this time, Activision has not confirmed Margera’s involvement in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4, so readers should take Bagley’s claim with a grain of salt pending an official announcement. However, if all of this is accurate, Margera’s alleged behavior related to Jackass Forever could have played some role in the decision by Activision; while Margera makes a brief appearance in the 2022 film, he was meant to be in the whole thing, but was apparently let go by Paramount due to issues with substance abuse. It’s not a stretch to imagine that Activision may have had the same concerns, and planned to keep him out of the game, before Hawk’s personal intervention.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 is slated to be released on July 11th, so we should know about Margera’s inclusion at some point soon, one way or the other. Obviously, Tony Hawk has a lot of pull when it comes to games with his name on the cover, so if Margera really is back for these remasters, it’s entirely possible that this is all due to the Birdman himself. However, even if Activision does confirm Margera’s presence, we probably won’t see anyone address whether it was Hawk’s intervention that led to the decision.
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For fans of Margera, and of the original versions of these games, the prospect of the skater’s return in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 is just another reason to get excited. It’s been almost 5 years since the release of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2, and many fans had their doubts that there would be another pair of remasters. It’s been a long wait to see these games return, but hopefully the finished product will prove worth it.
Do you want to see Bam Margera back in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4? Do you think Tony Hawk personally intervened to make it happen? Share your thoughts with me directly on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!
