2. Jon Faverau
I think he is going to be the most talked about director for the role. It is easy to see why. He made his name as a director by kick starting the Marvel franchise with Iron Man. Jon Faverau has been kicking around the business for a while having been a a fairly well respected actor before making his transition over to film directing and making his theatrical debut with Made. While he had Elf and Zathura under his belt before hand, it wasn't until Iron Man that he really became a big name. He went on to direct Iron Man 2 and Cowboys and Aliens which were not universally received movies, and his Magic Kingdom movie has been in pre-production since 2010, so it is true his stock might have fallen a little. However, it didn't stop his name getting bandied about when Star Wars were looking around for a director. He was actually many people's favorite for the film, but that obviously went to JJ Abrams in the end. However, could Faverau swing around and pick up Star Trek? It would perhaps be a return to what he succeeded with, having a flashy movie with a smart mouthed protagonist. Faverau also has a connection with Bad Robot having directed the Pilot for Revolution and now he executively produces with JJ Abrams. However, there are two things that are holding Faverau back. I have my doubts if he would want the job. Faverau will get offered plenty of movies these days and the idea of taking over someone elses iconic franchise may not entice him as much as it used to. He has a history of wanting to start things, and being forced to at least transgently mimic Abram's style may turn him off. Also, The Magic Kingdom would be the big hole in the road. It wasn't such a big deal when he could have directed Star Wars because he was already working for Disney. However, from what I know, they have invested a bunch of money into Magic Kingdom and want a franchise starter. I doubt they would let Faverau go to a rival company to take on another big franchise.
Pros: Established blockbuster director, Has a love for Sci-fi, flashy action romp with a mouthy protagonist,
Cons: May not want to do it, he is a franchise starter rather than a sequel director, The Magic Kingdom
Grade: B+