LOS ANGELES: Actor Jesse Eisenberg has said he will not return to play Mark Zuckerberg in the upcoming sequel to The Social Network, explaining that he no longer wants to be closely associated with the Facebook founder.
Speaking at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, where he received the festival’s President’s Award, Eisenberg reflected on his role in the 2010 film that portrayed the early days of Facebook.
According to Variety, Eisenberg turned down an offer to return for the sequel, titled “The Social Reckoning”. The role of Zuckerberg will now reportedly be played by Jeremy Strong.
The new film is expected to focus on former Facebook engineer Frances Haugen, played by Mikey Madison, along with coverage of a Wall Street Journal reporter portrayed by Jeremy Allen White.
Eisenberg said that when he first played Zuckerberg, the tech entrepreneur was not widely known, making the role feel very different at the time.
“Now I don’t want to do the movie… I don’t want to be associated with him anymore,” Eisenberg said, adding that he dislikes comparisons with Zuckerberg.
He also said he avoids social media because it makes him uncomfortable. “It’s not healthy,” he said, describing platforms like Facebook and X as unsettling.
Eisenberg added that his view of Zuckerberg has changed over time, saying he no longer believes the Meta CEO is focused on people in the way he once thought.
Eisenberg’s remarks highlight how public perception of major tech figures has shifted over the past decade, especially as debates around social media’s impact continue to grow. Eisenberg is currently promoting his new film “The Debut”, which is set to release in US cinemas on December 3.
