The Social Network Sequel Is Recasting Jesse Eisenberg's Mark Zuckerberg (And We Know The Frontrunner)
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Whether we like it or not, a sequel to David Fincher's 2010 film "The Social Network" is definitely happening. Now, outlets like Deadline are reporting that Jeremy Strong is the top choice to portray the CEO and founder of Facebook and Meta, Mark Zuckerberg.
As "Social Network" fans are well aware, the original film — written by Aaron Sorkin, who's set to both write and direct the sequel — cast Jesse Eisenberg as a younger Zuckerberg during and beyond his college years, jumping through timelines to show us both the origin of Facebook and the multiple lawsuits Zuckerberg ultimately faced from adversaries like the Winklevoss twins (played by Armie Hammer) and former best friends like Eduardo Saverin (a stunningly great Andrew Garfield in one of his early film roles). Now, years after the movie's release — and amidst a lot of controversy surrounding Facebook's role and influence in society, especially when it comes to politics — Strong, who won an Emmy for his performance on HBO's "Succession" and earned an Oscar nomination in 2025, looks to take over from Eisenberg (who incidentally also picked up an Academy Award nod for playing Zuckerberg).
Deadline was also the outlet that exclusively reported the news that multiple Emmy winner Jeremy Allen White (from "The Bear") and recently minted Oscar winner and "Anora" star Mikey Madison are circling "The Social Network Part II," so if Strong does join the cast, he's in very good company. Obviously, it's a shame that neither Fincher nor Eisenberg are returning, and as a huge "Social Network" fan who's still mad that it lost out the Best Picture Oscar to "The King's Speech," I have my doubts. Still, Strong could be a — sorry — strong choice to portray Zuckerberg.
The Social Network sequel is probably a terrible idea, but maybe Jeremy Strong would be good in it?
Look. I get it. At the risk of sounding like a sourpuss, I don't want a sequel to "The Social Network" either! The first film is basically perfect, and even though Facebook has made headlines in the decades since it came out — mostly in a bad way — nobody really needs a continuation of this story. But if it's going to happen, which it is, there are two things to note here. One is that the movie will probably not focus on Mark Zuckerberg again (I could be wrong, but I hope I'm not), which means Strong wouldn't be doing, like, a bad Jesse Eisenberg impression. Two, Strong is a very good actor, and when it comes to playing pompous characters who traffic in business nonsense, he's got the experience.
In case you somehow missed this, Strong spent four seasons playing the eldest failson Kendall Roy on "Succession," a show that excelled at making its characters talk about their many business enterprises in the most ridiculous and most over-the-top way possible. (His Elon Musk-inspired "flight suit" from season 4 certainly comes to mind, but it's far from the only example of Kendall's attempts at seriousness that turn out to be total clownery.) This actually makes him a perfect non-Eisenberg choice to play Zuckerberg, who definitely dabbles in business nonsense himself. (Remember when he tried to convince us all that his awful-looking AI avatars were the way of the future?) Strong is, if nothing else, a transformative actor, and he's also worked with Sorkin before on "The Trial of the Chicago 7," so if he takes this role, he knows exactly what he's getting into.
More casting news about "The Social Network Part II" will drop as the film takes shape, and if we learn that Strong is playing Zuckerberg, he'll probably do a pretty good job. If you want to watch the first movie, "The Social Network" is available to rent or buy on streaming platforms, including Amazon.