‘The Social Reckoning’: Jeremy Strong Says His “Empathetic & Objective” Take On Mark Zuckerberg Won’t Be Influenced By Jesse Eisenberg’s Performance

We couldn’t be more thrilled that Aaron Sorkin is behind “The Social Reckoning,” a sequel to the seminal tech-bro drama “The Social Network,” as that film helmed by David Fincher came at the exact right moment, as Facebook’s meteoric rise was certainly a huge landmark in the world of technology, and social media apps became these bigger-than-life entities alongside the personalities and faces behind these companies, mainly, Mark Zuckerberg.

Method actor and “Succession” star Jeremy Strong is stepping in to play Zuckerberg as the follow-up takes place 17 years later, and spoke to The Hollywood Reporter over the weekend at the Academy Museum Gala about his take and if Jesse Eisenberg‘s iteration from “The Social Network” will inform his take in Sorkin’s sequel or if he’s spoken with the actor, who earned a Best Actor Oscar nomination for his version back in 2011 (Sorkin walked away with the Best Adapted Screenplay statue).

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“It’s one of the great scripts I’ve ever read. It speaks to our time; it touches the third rail of everything happening in our world. It’s a great character, fascinating, complex, and I’m approaching it with great care and empathy, and objectivity. I’ve made two films with Aaron [with “The Trial of the Chicago 7” and “Molly’s Game“], and third time’s the charm.”

When the outlet asked if Strong had talked to Eisenberg about taking over the Zuckerberg role and if it would influence his take, Strong said, “No, I think that has nothing to do with what I’m going to do.”

In another brief interview with Variety, Strong spoke about his approach to tackling a role like Zuckerberg. “I’m approaching it like I approach everything else with empathy and objectivity, with care…I’m utterly fascinated by the material.”

This isn’t a huge shock given Strong’s history of going method (speaking with Eisnberg might impact whatever he’s decided to do in the film), and Zuckerberg has gone through multiple image changes over the decades, allowing for the hubris and darker side of the company to be explored beyond the legal issues concerning its origin at Harvard University.

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“The Social Reckoning,” written and directed by Sorkin, is already set for release by Sony Pictures on October 9, 2026. This new story about the inner workings of Facebook centers on a young engineer, Frances Haugen, played by Oscar-winning actress Mikey Madison (“Anora”), who teams up with Wall Street Journal reporter Jeff Horwitz, played by Jeremy Allen White (“Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere”), as the two worked together to expose the company’s underbelly to the public.

Jeremy Strong on his approach to playing Mark Zuckerberg in "The Social Reckoning" pic.twitter.com/MgE4sIj9zD

— Variety (@Variety) October 19, 2025