Featured image: A middle-aged man with gray hair and a beard is sitting at a wooden desk. AI-generated image; not a photograph of the reported event.
Hollywood has repeatedly chosen the tech bro as a villain. From Mark Zuckerberg to AI overlords, these characters mirror growing fears about digital power and accountability.
The Rise of the Tech Bro Villain
When The Social Network was released, a new cinematic archetype emerged: the tech-bro villain. Jesse Eisenberg’s Mark Zuckerberg isn’t a moustache-twirling villain. But he is, at the very least, on the wrong side of antiheroic: brilliant, brittle, status-driven, cruel, and in charge of a rapidly growing network.
At the time, many saw social media as a net positive. But the character still caused pause—even for the most optimistic tech fans.
A More Dangerous Story
A sequel to The Social Network has arrived—this time written and directed by Aaron Sorkin. It moves to the late 2010s, when Facebook has grown into a major global platform.
The film follows real-life data engineer Frances Haugen. Her concerns about Facebook’s algorithm lead her to leak files to journalist Jeff Horwitz. This results in the Wall Street Journal publishing the Facebook Files.
At the same time, a riot erupts—fueled by the outgoing U.S. president’s posts on Facebook. The president is banned from the platform by the company’s leader.
Why the New Zuckerberg Feels Less Threatening
Jeremy Strong plays the updated Zuckerberg. He is remote, uncaring, and obsessed with growth—willing to damage society to expand his company.
Yet, the performance feels underdeveloped. His robotic mannerisms are on point, but the character lacks depth. At times, he echoes Kendall Roy from Succession—dead-eyed, hollow, not truly new.
Sorkin’s script keeps Zuckerberg distant. He’s an absent, vague threat, not a fully realized villain. This makes the character feel flat.
A Broader Hollywood Trend
Hollywood has long leaned on tech bros as villains. Examples include:
- Channing Tatum’s mogul in Blink Twice (horror),
- a Bluetooth-wearing Lex Luthor in a Superman film,
- a billionaire disruptor in Glass Onion (whodunnit),
- the tech CEO in Don’t Look Up (dark comedy).
Real-life figures like Elizabeth Holmes and Adam Neumann have also been portrayed in dark films—The Dropout and WeCrashed.
Why This Trope Feels Tired
There are only so many versions of the same kind of character. After a while, the trope becomes repetitive and dull.
Tech CEOs often look the same—muted colors, quiet luxury. They rarely feel visually compelling.
Most stories end the same: scandal, imprisonment, or software spiraling out of control. The tech itself often becomes as guilty as the person who made it.
Even less satisfying are AI villains. In a recent film, a robot antagonist dominates the screen. It lacks the depth of past villains like Henry Cavill’s character in Fallout or Philip Seymour Hoffman’s in M:I3. These were men driven by rage and spite—not just world domination.
Give us flesh-and-blood villains over robotic ones—any day.
What to Watch Next
New films and series include:
- Artificial: A film about OpenAI and Sam Altman (played by Andrew Garfield),
- The Altruists: A Netflix series on Sam Bankman-Fried’s fall,
- The Audacity: A HBO comedy on a chaotic tech CEO,
- Musk: A documentary by Alex Gibney,
- You Can See Everything: A documentary on Elizabeth Holmes by Nathan Fielder.
Some may be strong—like Artificial, which earned praise at the New York Film Festival. But the trend feels exhausting. After so many similar characters, the story feels repetitive.
For more on the original article, see The Guardian’s original piece.
For details on the Facebook Files, visit the Wall Street Journal.
