Aaron Sorkin, the Oscar-winning screenwriter of 'The Social Network', has revealed that he spent three days trying to convince Jesse Eisenberg to reprise his role as Mark Zuckerberg in the upcoming film 'The Social Reckoning'. However, Eisenberg declined, stating he no longer wishes to be associated with the Facebook founder.
In an interview with Vanity Fair, Sorkin explained that he felt the role belonged to Eisenberg, who was 'battle-tested' from the first film. But Eisenberg expressed concerns about being conflated with Zuckerberg, particularly due to the negative impact of Facebook's policies. Sorkin noted that Eisenberg dislikes being approached in airports by fans asking him to sign business cards reading 'I'm CEO, bitch'.
Eisenberg had previously told BBC Radio 4's 'Today' programme that he did not want to be associated with someone whose actions are 'problematic', citing the removal of fact-checking and safety features that threaten vulnerable groups. He emphasised that playing a fictional character is different from being linked to a real person causing harm.
After Eisenberg's refusal, Sorkin coincidentally met Jeremy Strong at the 2025 Vanity Fair Oscar Party, where Strong expressed interest in the role. Strong now portrays Zuckerberg in 'The Social Reckoning', which focuses on Facebook engineer Frances Haugen (Mikey Madison) and Wall Street Journal reporter Jeff Horwitz (Jeremy Allen White), whose 2021 investigation exposed the company's harmful effects on teens and its role in spreading misinformation.
