After Jesse Eisenberg shocked many fans by confirming that he won’t be reprising his role as Mark Zuckerberg in the upcoming sequel, The Social Network 2, he has explained why he passed on the iconic part this time around. In a recent interview, Eisenberg opened up about why he isn’t coming back as the Facebook co-founder in the Aaron Sorkin-helmed sequel, stating that he had simply outgrown the character.
Jesse Eisenberg on why he isn’t playing Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network 2
While speaking to Today‘s Craig Melvin about his upcoming movie Now You See Me: Now You Don’t, the two-time Academy Award nominee noted that he decided not to return as Mark Zuckerberg in the sequel movie The Social Reckoning, as he couldn’t relate to the role anymore.
The veteran actor initially tried to divert the discussion by referring to the recent Louvre Museum heist, stating, “You know, I was in Paris. And I had some tools, and I figured there was a way to make a little more of a statement at the Louvre.”
However, after some insistence by Melvin, Eisenberg finally provided insight into why he passed on the lead role in The Social Network 2. “For reasons that have nothing to do with how amazing that movie will be, really, truthfully. But when you play a character, you feel at some point that you’ve grown into something else,” the 42-year-old explained.
Despite his absence from the sequel, Eisenberg is as excited for The Social Reckoning as fans are. “It’s a really wonderful movie,” he remarked before adding, “I’m friends with Aaron Sorkin, who wrote and is directing this movie, and all of the reasons that I am not in it are completely unrelated to how brilliant it will be.”
With Jesse Eisenberg dropping out of The Social Network 2, Succession star Jeremy Strong has stepped in to play the Meta CEO. Directed by Aaron Sorkin and featuring Jeremy Allen White, Mikey Madison, Bill Burr, Wunmi Mosaku, and Billy Magnussen, starring alongside Strong, The Social Reckoning is on track to hit theaters on October 9, 2026.
Originally reported by Apoorv Rastogi on ComingSoon.
