Steve-O and Johnny Knoxville address Bam Margera being kicked off Jackass 5

Jackass stars Johnny Knoxville and Steve-O have opened up about how they navigated including the unseen footage of Bam Margera for the new Jackass 5 film.

The stunt duo have talked in the past about their fractious relationship with their former co-star, and fans were surprised to see Margera appeared in footage of Jackass: Best and Last.

Margera starred in the Jackass TV series and the first three movies, before he was reportedly fired from Jackass Forever for allegedly failing a drugs test.

He then brought a lawsuit for wrongful termination, claiming he only failed the test due to taking an Adderall prescription for Attention Deficit Disorder.

After eight months, the suit was dropped and he was cut from the film, so fans did not expect him to appear in the latest (and final) movie, but Knoxville and Steve-O were determined to make it happen.

Steve-O told USA Today about the Bam Margera negotiations (Intagram/USA Today)

Knoxville revealed he reached out to Margera's team for permission to use unseen early footage featuring the star, and he said it was approved, but Margera did not want to come back and work with them again to shoot new material.

""Through a third party, we invited him to be a part of the film," Knoxville recalled, telling USA Today about the new film.

"But he wasn't ready, and we accept that and respect that."

He added: "I have nothing but love for Bam Bam. And I hear he's doing good, and that makes me happy."

The unseen footage in the new film features a Silence of the Lambs scene from Jackass Forever.

The shocking prank featured the cast being locked in a dark room and tricked into thinking a rattlesnake was loose in there with him.

Very I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here.

Bam Margera featured in the first three films and the TV series but was axed from the fourth (Photo by KMazur/WireImage)

Margera was originally cut out of the segment for the final version, but has been restored for the new movie so fans can see his reaction.

Apparently he is petrified of snakes, so it plays into this fear.

Steve-O told USA TODAY he hasn't been in contact with Margera recently.

Like Knoxville, he said he was thrilled to be able to use the footage un the end, but confessed: "I haven't had any personal contact with Bam myself in quite some time, and I almost don't understand that because I don't believe that he's got any issue with me," He continued: "So I don't know. I'm just glad to hear that he's doing well, and it's a shame that he couldn't really see this for what it was. But it's also really cool that he got involved in the old footage."

Earlier this year, Margera told TMZ he had 'PTSD' from how he was treated.

He said he agreed on the archive footage being used, but that was all he could face following the firing.

"I have a lot of PTSD from it all. I'm just too hurt by it, and I already accepted the fact that I don't want anything to do with it anymore," he said.

Before the final film was announced, he made his feelings clear on social media: “If there were even any brainstorming thoughts about a Jackass 5, they would not be at liberty to call it Jackass anymore. There is no more ass.

“There's no more CKY, no Dunn, no Dico, no Rake, no Ape and Phil. Bam got replaced by a guy named... Poopies, and it's just Big Brother now.”

He finished by saying: "Can't wait to not see it.”