Aaron Sorkin says Jesse Eisenberg turned down a return to play Mark Zuckerberg in the sequel, titled “The Social Reckoning.” Sorkin reports that he tried to persuade Eisenberg for several days after deciding to revisit the story, but Eisenberg declined. According to Sorkin, Eisenberg “did not want to be conflated” with Zuckerberg anymore, and Sorkin added that Eisenberg has “his problems with the guy.”
The original film, “The Social Network,” depicted Zuckerberg’s creation of Facebook and was released in 2010, with Eisenberg starring as Zuckerberg. The upcoming sequel moves forward without Eisenberg. The Hollywood Reporter reports that Jeremy Strong has taken over the role of Zuckerberg for “The Social Reckoning.”
Across the outlets, the accounts align that Eisenberg’s decision is a key factor in the casting change, and that Sorkin’s efforts to bring Eisenberg back did not succeed. The dispute centers on Eisenberg’s discomfort with being linked to Zuckerberg following the first film’s portrayal.
