'The Older You Get, The Less People Want To See Your Penis.' Johnny Knoxville On How Much Nudity Will Be In Jackass 5

Johnny Knoxville has never exactly been subtle about what the Jackass franchise is selling: chaos, camaraderie, and the kind of stunts that make you cover your eyes even when you’ve seen them before. But as the upcoming Jackass 5 gets ready to arrive on the 2026 movie calendar this summer, and as Knoxville insists this is truly the final feature, he’s also acknowledging something the franchise doesn’t love to talk about. The older you get, the less people want to see your penis. That’s right, Johnny Knoxville is opening up about how much nudity will be in the fifth and final installment of the series.

In a new interview with Rolling Stone, the 55-year-old Jackass co-creator looked back on more than 25 years of self-inflicted mayhem, the injuries (and concussions) that come with it, and the weird little “rules” that formed along the way. This includes the long-running tradition of male nudity that somehow became as essential to the brand as shopping carts and bulls. Knoxville’s take on the nudity question is peak him:

That one quote pretty much explains the entire Jackass creative process. They’ll make a sincere attempt at restraint, but restraint isn’t funny. Think of male nudity as the special sauce of a Jackass stunt, if you will.

For longtime fans, the escalation of nudity has almost become a running joke within the franchise itself. Each installment seems to push things a little further, not necessarily because it needs to, but because the group’s internal logic often lands on the same conclusion, and that is that it’s just funnier with nudity.

The entire crew of Jackass has racked up their share of brutal injuries--one member, “Danger” Ehren McGhehey, actually ended up with a ruptured testicle. Still, Knoxville, now 55, has been increasingly candid about the physical toll the series has taken on him in particular. Sixteen documented concussions, multiple fractures, and that notoriously brutal bull hit in Jackass Forever that left him with brain damage have forced him to reevaluate what he can and should keep doing. That includes showing his nearly six-decade-old “gym dog.”

That self-awareness adds a different texture to the upcoming film. While the crew is reportedly about 80% locked on stunt ideas, the Fear Factor: House of Fear host has acknowledged that this will be the “natural place to end.” The fifth movie is being positioned as the last official installment, a final burst of mayhem before they (allegedly) hang up the jockstraps for good.

Of course, “never again” has been said before. But there’s a noticeable shift in tone this time. Knoxville has spoken openly about stepping back from certain high-risk stunts due to concussions and long recovery periods. Bulls, in particular, once his specialty, are largely off the table.

That makes the conversation about nudity oddly symbolic. If the franchise began as fearless twenty-somethings launching themselves at danger (and each other), it now features men who are acutely aware of their mortality, and their audience’s tolerance. Yet, despite the self-deprecation, the core formula doesn’t appear to be changing dramatically. Knoxville admitted that even when they try to dial back the exposed anatomy, the comedy math rarely works in their favor. If there’s an option between clothed chaos and naked chaos, the latter tends to win.

Whether Jackass 5 ends up being a triumphant sendoff or, as Knoxville jokingly suggested elsewhere in the interview, a “train wreck,” one thing seems certain, and that's that the guys are still committed to making themselves the punchline. Jackass 5 is scheduled to hit theaters on June 26, 2026.