Star Wars Episode VII: Is J J Abrams the right man for the job?

Three more episodes? Star Wars creator George Lucas poses with Storm Troopers in 2005. Disney is planning to make a further three Star Wars films if a buyout of Lucasfilm goes ahead (Reuters)

Confirmation came this morning that J.J. Abrams is the man Hollywood trusts to reboot fading intergalactic franchises, as the 46-year-old director, who took charge of Star Trek to critical acclaim, has now been hired to helm Star Wars Episode VII.

Abrams finds himself responsible for approximately 63 per cent of all American childhood memories, after Hollywood trade outlets Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter published the news of his new job.

The director's next film, Star Trek: Into Darkness, will hit cinemas in May this year, with the Star Wars movie due out later in 2015.

At Grantland, Emily Yoshida is worried that two of the most important sci-fi franchises in contemporary culture will be moulded by the same pair of hands. "We are essentially putting one guy in charge of our myths — both as custodian of the old and creator of the new. The decision feels like something the folks at Disney did in their sleep — are there so few interesting voices out there?"

On Twitter, journalist Bryan Appleyard quipped: "J.J. Abrams now directs everything".

Do you think the honchos at Lucasfilm selected the best candidate? Or will this lead to a disappointingly homogenous sci-fi universe?