8. Casting Unexpected Actors
I remember reading the cast list for Abrams' Trek before any promotional materials had been released and just scoffing at the absurdity of it all - "John Cho as Sulu? That'll never work". However, Abrams has a sure knack for casting against-type actors in great roles, something further demonstrated by having Winona Ryder play Spock's mother in the first Trek, and then bringing Peter Weller along to play Admiral Marcus in Into Darkness. These are all actors who do not suit the conventional "look" for a Star Trek movie, and yet they turned out to be a totally snug, welcome fit. We should expect the same for Episode 7; though we already know that we're getting Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill returning to reprise their iconic roles, you can expect their young equivalent characters to come from surprising places. While there will be the inevitably expected big-hitters joining the ranks, some quirky choices are an absolute certainty too.