The first trailer for Aaron Sorkin’s The Social Reckoning, a sequel to 2010’s The Social Network, has generated mixed reactions on social media, with many fans expressing disappointment with the casting of Jeremy Strong as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, a role previously played by Jesse Eisenberg.

Inspired by The Facebook Files, a series of investigative reports published by The Wall Street Journal, the drama explores allegations that Facebook downplayed or concealed internal research highlighting the platform's harmful effects.

The film also stars Jeremy Allen and Mikey Madison.

Much of the early online reaction revolves around a familiar question: Does this story really need a sequel? The original is often regarded as a defining film of its generation, with the combination of David Fincher’s direction and Sorkin’s screenplay creating a distinctive tone that many believe will be difficult to recreate.

“Social Network sequel with no Fincher or Eisenberg and directed by Sorkin sounded awful in the first place, but that trailer is somehow worse than I imagined,” an X user wrote.

Sharing a film still from The Social Network, another X user wrote, “It's gonna be hard to beat this. It's literally what pushed Gen Z founders to grind.”

“Making a sequel to one of the most perfect standalone movies in cinema history is pure madness. Hollywood is so aggressively starved of original ideas that they have to milk a 16-year-old masterpiece just to force box office numbers,” reads another post.

However, some fans are hopeful about the new film. “At the risk of sounding dramatic, I think Strong is one of those rare actors whose curiosity, intelligence, and commitment are often mistaken for pretension,” a post reads.

Another fan wrote, “Jeremy Strong takes risks. Period. He might fall on his face playing Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Reckoning, but that’s part of being an artist- risking it all for something potentially great. Regardless of how this turns out, Strong has my respect. He’s a fearless actor.”

Released in 2010, The Social Network emerged as both a critical and commercial success, earning USD 224 million at the global box office and winning three Academy Awards, including Best Adapted Screenplay for Sorkin.

The Social Reckoning is slated to hit theatres on October 9.