Jesse Eisenberg has opted not to return to the role of Mark Zuckerberg in Aaron Sorkin's new film, 'The Social Reckoning'.

This decision marks a departure for Eisenberg, who earned an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of the Facebook founder in the 2010 film, 'The Social Network'.

The actor's choice to move on from the character comes after more than 15 years since his initial performance, indicating a desire to distance himself from the tech mogul's persona.

According to Sorkin, he made a concerted effort to persuade Eisenberg to rejoin the project, attempting for three days to secure his involvement.

Sorkin told Vanity Fair that he felt the role "belonged to him" and that Eisenberg was "certainly battle-tested." However, Eisenberg reportedly expressed a reluctance to be continually associated with Mark Zuckerberg, citing personal issues with the individual and discomfort with public interactions where he was conflated with the Facebook CEO.

The search for a new lead for 'The Social Reckoning' led Sorkin to Jeremy Strong.

The screenwriter met Strong at the 2025 Vanity Fair Oscar Party, where Strong expressed interest in playing Zuckerberg if Eisenberg was unavailable.

Strong was officially attached to the role by July 2025, with Sorkin noting that Strong quickly immersed himself in the character.

Sorkin observed that Strong was already speaking like Mark Zuckerberg on his first day of filming.

'The Social Reckoning' is set to premiere on October 9 in theaters.

The film will focus on Facebook engineer Frances Haugen, played by Mikey Madison, who approaches Wall Street Journal reporter Jeff Horwitz, portrayed by Jeremy Allen White, with confidential information about the social media platform.

The cast also includes Bill Burr, Wunmi Mosaku, Billy Magnussen, and Betty Gilpin.