3. He'll Make It Accessible
Star Trek has a far "harder" sci-fi edge than
Star Wars, and that's because - generally speaking -
Star Wars isn't even science-fiction: it's fantasy. It's set in a completely different galaxy, one where people drink blue milk and listen to alien Cantina bands, whereas
Star Trek is set far closer to home. Earth, in fact. And whether or not you liked how Abrams handled
Star Trek for his reboot, it was done in such a way as to capture the attention of a mainstream audience, to the point that he made it accessible for everybody. You could come at it without an knowledge of the franchise and enjoy it. So how did Abrams accomplish that, exactly? Well, simply put, he directed it like a
Star Wars movie. And though
Star Wars remains far more "mainstream" anyway, it will certainly be in LucasFilm's interest that he make Episode VII accessible to new fans and people who think
Star Wars is naff. And that's presumably one of the big reasons why Abrams has been been hired for this gig in the first place - because he's shown Hollywood that he can do such a thing.