Dark Shark Faces The Most Frightening Prank In Jackass 4.5

"Jackass Forever," and by extension its companion film "Jackass 4.5" (now available on Netflix), introduces us to a whole new crop of idiots willing to do terrible things to themselves and each other. Some, like Eric Andre and Jasper Dolphin, are fairly familiar faces in the world of TV and entertainment. Others were relatively low-profile beforehand. Rachel Wolfson had garnered a following for her humor through social media before being asked to join "Jackass Forever" (via IndieWire). Eric Manaka, who comes from an acting background, had just one prior IMDb credit before joining the "Jackass" crew, and even that project ("Action Point") was alongside Johnny Knoxville and Chris Pontius.

Then there's Compston Wilson, otherwise known as "Dark Shark." As we learn in his first prank in "Jackass Forever," Dark Shark is Jasper's father. He is also a former gang member, a man who has been shot nine times (including in the head), and an ex-convict. He's not entirely new to television, or to his son's delightfully sophomoric sense of humor. Adult Swim's "Loiter Squad," which starred Jasper, Tyler the Creator, and others from the Odd Future crew, also featured guest appearances from Dark Shark.

There is indeed something very funny about watching this very tough man freak out over spiders and birds (though frankly, fear of the specific kinds of spiders and birds he was subjected to — tarantulas and vultures — is perfectly reasonable). The good news is that there's a lot more of Dark Shark in "Jackass 4.5" (via Little White Lies). There are also a lot more cringe-inducing pranks and stunts. But there's one particular stunt, one particular ordeal, that may have pushed Dark Shark a little too close to — if not entirely over — the edge.

As we learn in "Jackass 4.5," Dark Shark is deathly afraid of flying in planes. In fact, according to Jasper, he has only flown once before, and basically cried the whole way. Knoxville and company have never been known to pass up an opportunity to exploit a cast member's terror, so it makes sense that they would rope Dark Shark into a prank where they force him to skydive.

Granted, skydiving is nowhere near as dangerous as one might think. According to the United States Parachute Association, fatalities are at an all-time low, with only ten deaths out of an estimated 3.57 million jumps in 2021. Don't tell that to Dark Shark, though. "Something in the back of my mind said 'I'm gonna die today,'" he says in the movie as he looks back on the jump. "I gave up on living for the first time in my life." That's when they decided to push him, strapped in tandem to a professional skydiver, out of the plane.

It's worth pondering why, as John Serba at Decider points out, this stunt, grueling as it was for Dark Shark, was cut from "Jackass Forever." Maybe it's because, as funny as it is to watch a grown man bargain with God while thinking he's having a heart attack, it's also pretty horrifying.

Still, Dark Shark appears to have taken it all in stride. "I'm really proud of Dark Shark for facing his fears," says Jasper, "because even after that, he just became a different person, and he was even more positive, and [he's] had a better look at life." We'll just have to take Jasper's word for it.