Jesse Eisenberg, the Oscar-nominated actor who brought Mark Zuckerberg to the screen in the 2010 hit The Social Network, has made it clear: he is done with the comparison and has turned down the chance to return as the Facebook founder in the upcoming sequel. His direct comments, delivered while promoting his latest directorial project, reveal a personal and professional shift away from the tech mogul.

While speaking at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, where he was honored with the President's Award, Eisenberg reflected on his decision not to reprise the role for Aaron Sorkin's upcoming sequel, The Social Reckoning . He admitted that he no longer wishes to be associated with the Facebook founder, noting that his perspective has changed significantly since the first film was released.

"At the time, the movie seemed like such a strange thing to me because no one really knew who he was," Eisenberg explained, recalling how Zuckerberg was not a major public figure back then . "He's become famous and now I don't want to do the movie... I don't want to be associated with him anymore because I don't really like the comparison" .

The actor went on to criticize the social media landscape that Zuckerberg helped create. He admitted that he stays away from platforms like Facebook and Twitter, calling them "terrifying" and "not healthy" . Eisenberg stated that he feels social media is fundamentally unhealthy and that being part of the film that chronicled its creation made him acutely aware of its dangers .

Eisenberg's decision means the role of Zuckerberg in the new film will now be played by Jeremy Strong, the Emmy-winning star of Succession . The Social Reckoning will instead focus on the story of former Facebook engineer Frances Haugen, played by Mikey Madison, and a Wall Street Journal reporter portrayed by Jeremy Allen White .

Eisenberg is currently focusing on his directing career and promoting his new film The Debut, starring Julianne Moore and Paul Giamatti, which is set for release in U.S. cinemas on December 3 . His comments mark a definitive break from the role that defined much of his early career, as he seeks to distance himself from the comparison to one of the world's most polarizing tech executives.