Ok. I know there’s an overwhelming amount to talk about when it comes to this craziness...but I’d like to address only one thing: Who should/will direct the next Star Wars.

The 3 most names that immediately come to mind: Joss Whedon, JJ Abrams, and Brad Bird.

Joss is already doing Avengers 2, which honestly I feel is a production that “needs” Whedon more to be successful. I could name several people (I am, in fact) that could handle a good SW movie, but I’m not sure I think anyone other than Whedon could pull off Avengers 2. I want them both to be good, so that's a sacrifice I might be willing to make. (ducks)

Abrams has the ST franchise already, and I’m not sure his “feel” meshes well with the actual Star Wars universe, no matter how similar Star Trek (2009) is to the Star Wars formula. I just don’t see it happening without the idea being a “revamping” of SW, which I don’t think is what Disney will be aiming for.

One fun thought: If Disney does take this down the Bond/Potter road, constantly changing directors and tone, then I could easily see both Joss and JJ doing SW movies down the road…and how exciting is that possibility?

For Episode 7 though, Brad Bird seems to be the favorite in my mind. He’s established himself as a great live-action director, is already in-house for Disney, and his background at Pixar lends itself well to the “tone” SW would likely be going for. If I was in the meeting, he’d be the name I’d go for if Joss didn’t have time (likely) and the pie-in-the-sky name I’ll drop later doesn’t work out.

Mentioning Avengers above, let’s not forget Jon Favreau could be on the list as well. Similar to Whedon/JJ, he’s sort of got his corner of the universe, so I’m not sure the odds. I’m also not sure if he’s as capable as others on the list, but it’s worth tossing his name out as a possibility since he’s definitely got big-budget-action on his resume.

Next up, Matthew Vaughn. Seems like a good backup option if Brad Bird doesn’t work. Solid and safe.

Ok. So. Pie in the sky time…

Peter ‘Effin’ Jackson. The Hobbit is done filming, in post, and there’s nothing on the immediate horizon for him. If what I read is true, and there is already a story framework in place for a full trilogy of 7/8/9, how about reintroducing a new generation to Star Wars with the most epic Space Opera ever. Go big or go home. Clearly he has the ability, in character, action, and technological experience (not to be overlooked). Disney could use Jackson to firmly establish the universe, then transition to the “Bond” style movies afterwards, building on that foundation.

Quick note on something I heard on the intermission…Rian Johnson. Sorry, no. He’s great, and Brick is one of my Top 3 favorite movies of all time, but he doesn’t do action well. He’s a film-noir guy at heart, building tension/suspense – think of the shootout or chase scenes in Brick. In interviews he talks about how he wanted to ground Looper and its action sequences with a very tangible/real feeling – that’s not SW. I’d rather him work on character pieces that will keep me on pins and needles, rather than directing space battles.

Lastly, I assume Nolan’s name has to be in the hat simply because he’s Nolan. He’s obviously a solid director, but the larger-action scenes of Dark Knight & Inception really felt like they got away from him a bit. I’d worry that something as large and fantasy based as Star Wars wouldn’t be something he’d be great at.

Oh oh, and also Gore Verbinski. He’s got the family-friendly-action cred and Disney in from Pirates. I should write more, but if the script is there I think he’d be up there on my list…Rango being a better example of what I’d hope to see.

From those listed, my hopeful order:

Jackson, Whedon, Bird, Verbinski, Vaughn, Abrams, Favreau, Nolan, Johnson