The Social Network Part II Has My Attention, And I Have A Few Thoughts

I have been following The Social Network Part II for a long time. I first wrote about it nearly five years ago when I went on about various scenarios I want to see in Aaron Sorkin’s next Facebook movie. Though not much has happened over the years, that recently changed when it was revealed that the long-awaited sequel is still in the works and was gaining a lot of traction. It’s safe to say that I’m excited, and this news has my attention…

However, though I’m extremely excited to dive back into the world of this mammoth social media company and all its big controversies, I am also a little worried about the movie that seems like it won’t see the return of its original cast or director, David Fincher. Here are a few thoughts I have about The Social Network Part II.

Nothing Against Aaron Sorkin As A Director, But I Don't Think It'll Match What David Fincher Did

Don’t get me wrong, I think that Aaron Sorkin is one of the greatest screenwriters, playwrights, and TV creators of the past 25-30 years (and possibly of all time). I consider The West Wing and The Newsroom two of the best TV shows of all time, his plays like A Few Good Men and To Kill a Mockingbird (his adaptation of Harper Lee’s novel is outstanding) are in a league of their own, and his movies like The Social Network and Moneyball show off his incredible skill as a writer.

However, he’s no David Fincher when it comes to directing. Yeah, there are few that come close to touching Fincher, at least when discussing living filmmakers, but the acclaimed director, with his signature style, made The Social Network into a damn-near perfect film. That said, I have faith in Sorkin as a filmmaker, but I really hope that the nuance and punchiness of Fincher’s 2010 directorial effort isn’t lost with someone else sitting behind the camera. We shall see…

However, I Am Excited To See How Sorkin Approaches Facebook From A Different Angle

Though the last courtroom scene in Trial of the Chicago 7 was a little cheesy, Sorkin has shown us over the years that he’s more than competent as a director, especially in detail-oriented films with a lot of moving parts. So, I’m excited to see what he does with a movie that takes a deep dive into the complexities of a social media platform like Facebook and a CEO like Mark Zuckerberg.

One thing that has me excited about The Social Network Part II is that, according to Deadline, the sequel will take a different approach to Facebook and will instead be on the outside looking in opposed to focusing on its creation and early days. When covering the film in June 2025, the outlet reported that it will explore the story behind Jeff Horowitz’s articles titled “The Facebook Files,” which were first published by the Wall Street Journal in October 2021. The bombshell report exposed all kinds of stories from the inner workings of Facebook at the time, as well as all the harms caused by the company on a global scale. This makes it seem like Zuckerberg won’t be the lens through which we see the story unfold, which is really promising.

It Doesn't Sound Like Jesse Eisenberg Is Coming Back, But His Rumored Replacement Is Promising

The Social Network was a Best Picture loser that should have won, and its star, Jesse Eisenberg, should have taken home the Best Actor Oscar at the Academy Awards way back when. However, it sounds like Eisenberg won't get a chance to play Zuckerberg and get an Oscar nom this time around, as the role is reportedly being recast. That said, the name that keeps coming up has me a little more intrigued about the upcoming sequel.

In July 2025, Variety reported that Oscar nominee and Primetime Emmy Award-winning actor Jeremy Strong was being eyed to play Zuckerberg in the sequel. Over the years, Strong has proven that he’s more than capable of handling intense and powerful figures, whether it’s his take on Kendall Roy on HBO’s Succession or Donald Trump’s mentor Roy Cohn in The Apprentice. If the Facebook founder is going to be presented in not the best light and not really be the protagonist, then I think Strong is a perfect choice for the part, even if I’m bummed this might mean we won’t see Eisenberg play Zuckerberg again.

I'm Also Curious To See How Mikey Madison And Jeremy Allen White Do In This

Scott Cooper’s Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere may not be the only place we see Jeremy Strong and Jeremy Allen White, as the two could be sharing the screen again soon after the upcoming music biopic lands on the big screen. In July 2025, Deadline reported that the Emmy-winning star of The Bear was being eyed for a role along with Oscar-winning actress Mikey Madison, who is coming off a career-defining role in Anora.

Though their characters’ identities have not yet been confirmed, the outlet reported that these two up-and-coming actors were Sorkin’s picks for The Social Network Part II. There could be a situation where White stands in for Jeff Horowitz at the Wall Street Journal, with Madison taking on the role of a Facebook whistleblower, which could add another dynamic to the movie.

What's The Over/Under Going To Be On 'Walk And Talks' In The Social Network Part II

Every writer, director, and producer has their own signature touch that they insert in all of their movies, shows, and other programs. That’s more true for Aaron Sorkin than pretty much everyone else, specifically when it comes to his “walk and talks:” scenes where people have intense conversations while walking through the White House in The West Wing, a TV studio in The Newsroom, or the bowels of the Oakland Coliseum in Moneyball.

One thing I want to know, and I guess I need to check with some oddsmakers for this, is what the over/under will be for “walk and talks” here. Depending on the runtime, we could see at least four or five of these scenes, but I’m willing to take the over.

Though I have some concerns, am apprehensive about a few things, and don’t know what to expect, I’m extremely excited for The Social Network Part II, and I can’t wait to see how this shakes out.