Aaron Sorkin Says It ‘Never Occurred’ to Him That Jesse Eisenberg Wouldn’t Play Mark Zuckerberg in ‘The Social Reckoning,’ Claims the Paycheck Was a ‘Disincentive’

Before Jesse Eisenberg declined to step back into the world of Facebook as Mark Zuckerberg for Aaron Sorkin’s “The Social Reckoning,” the director admitted “it never occurred” to him that the actor wouldn’t be on board with his 2026 follow-up to 2010’s “The Social Network,” in which Eisenberg portrayed the young tech billionaire.

Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Sorkin recounted that he was “just a couple of pages from being done” with the script for the new film when he ran into Eisenberg at a party, “and said, ‘I’m gonna be sending you something in a couple of weeks.’” The actor “smiled and nodded, and I sent it to him,” said Sorkin. “It never occurred to me that he wouldn’t wanna do it.”

Sorkin continued, explaining he tried to convince the “A Real Pain” actor, but he didn’t budge.

“This is the only time I’ve written myself an outline. I don’t do it for the movies, but I did it for my conversations with Jesse,” he said. “It was arguments for why he should do it. They included, ‘We already know you’re gonna be great because you were already once.’ You know, ‘Here are the great moments that you’re gonna get to play in the movie.’ And I laid it out for him.” And while Eisenberg didn’t sign on, he did tell Sorkin that their conversations made him “come closer to changing my mind than I thought you were going to,” which the director said “pleased” him.

Not even a sizeable paycheck could sway Eisenberg, admitted Sorkin. “I knew what the studio was offering him to do it, but money does not motivate Jesse. It’s infuriating,” said Sorkin. “If anything, money is a disincentive for him. It’s admirable. He’s very concerned about raising his kids with too much money.”

In the lead-up to the release of “The Social Reckoning,” which hits theaters on Oct. 9, Eisenberg’s refusal to return as Zuckerberg has been a hot topic. (“Succession” actor Jeremy Strong stars as the Facebook founder instead.) Speaking with Variety, the actor said: “I just told [Sorkin] I’m moving in different directions in my life, and you know, what he said sums it up nicely. I don’t want to be associated with that character, but all of my reasons for not wanting to do the movie have nothing to do with how wonderful the movie is, and will be, and I’m sure is already.”

“The Social Network,” which also starred Andrew Garfield and Justin Timberlake, was nominated for eight Oscars and won three, including best adapted screenplay for Sorkin, best film editing and best original score. Eisenberg earned an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Zuckerberg. “The Social Reckoning” stars Strong, Mikey Madison, Jeremy Allen White, Billy Magnussen, Bill Burr and more.