Skating legend Tony Hawk felt it would have been a grave oversight for THPS 3 + 4 skater list omitted Margera, who was subsequently added to the game after public outcry.

In an interview with Screen Rant at THPS Fest, Hawk was asked about the hearsay that he personally called Activision to have Margera reinstated in the remaster collection. Hawk's full response is as follows:

"It's true in a sense, yeah. And I’m just stoked to have Bam in the mix. He's such an icon of the series and came to be a big presence in the later games, and I feel like we're celebrating so much history of the game, it would be a disservice to have Bam out of it. And I'm stoked he's here. I'm stoked he's doing well. And, I mean, if you've seen him skating recently, he's back at it."

After rising to fame from his skating career and prominent roles in the MTV series Jackass and Viva La Bam, Margera has had a long and public struggle with alcohol and substance abuse alongside various legal issues. Such circumstances were thought to be the reason Margera was left out of THPS 3 + 4 until Hawk personally stepped in.

Tony Hawk Felt THPS 3 + 4 Wouldn't Be The Same Without Bam Margera

Margera Is A Series Mainstay

Hawk claiming "it would be a disservice to have Bam out of" Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 is likely how many longtime fans felt. Margera first appeared in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 and went on to feature in many of the franchise's installments afterward. A similar incident occurred with THPS 1 + 2, where Margera's likeness was removed from an in-game poster. Margera's return to THPS 3 + 4 was first revealed in March 2025, reportedly after the game had practically completed development.

Margera's most recent controversy, outside the THPS series, revovles around 2022's Jackass Forever reunion film. Margera appears in only one stunt and in archival footage because he was fired from the film for breaking his sobriety, a stipulation put on his appearance in the production by Paramount. This falling out led to a lawsuit, which was later dropped by Margera. Hawk now says of Margera, "he's doing well," and has returned to skateboarding.

Bam Margera's Return In THPS 3 + 4 Makes For A More Faithful Remaster

A Skating Icon

Despite controversies and personal struggles, it's hard to deny the impact Bam Margera has had on skating at large; there's a reason he was originally included in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3. Jackass made him a household name, but he was a major figure in the boom of skateboarding in the 1990s and 2000s. A major publisher like Activision was likely wary of the association given Margera's reputation in recent years, but his inclusion makes for a more faithful remaster with THPS 3 + 4.

It's an irable move from Tony Hawk to go to bat for Margera like this, and it's nice to hear that he's apparently doing well. Hawk is the most famous skater of all time, and he clearly cares deeply about the sport's legacy even in a digital medium like the Pro Skater series. He's right, it would have been a disservice to exclude Margera from Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4, and the remaster now feels more complete for having the former Jackass star reprise his role.