‘Star Trek 3′ Update: Roberto Orci in Early Talks to Direct

Ever since J.J. Abrams ditched the Enterprise to go make 'Star Wars: Episode 7,' fans have been wondering who would take the captain's seat on the rebooted franchise and make 'Star Trek 3.' After months of rumors, the most nefarious choice of them all is apparently just about to sign on the dotted line: Roberto Orci.

The news comes via Deadline, who report that Orci's hard-lobbying for the job has paid off. He's now the frontrunner for the job and is said to be in early talks with Paramount.

From a business standpoint, Orci seems like a proper fit. He co-wrote the previous two films and has been involved in big-budget studio filmmaking as a writer and producer for a long time. Along with his former partner Alex Kurtzman, he contributed to franchises like 'Transformers,' 'Mission: Impossible' and 'The Amazing Spider-Man.' He may be a first-time director, but he's got the industry know-how to be one. With the backing of a major studio, we have no doubt that his 'Star Trek 3' would be a slick and well-made movie that functions well enough.

But we also can't imagine it being ... well, good.

We already made our concerns public, but Orci's writing has always been at odds with the 'Star Trek' universe. His obsession with conspiracy theories and the secret evils of government have made their way into each and every one of this scripts whether they belonged there or not. His basic worldview, and the stories he likes to tell, are at odds with the optimistic and humanist universe Gene Roddenberry created in the first place. In 'Star Trek Into Darkness,' the conspiracy-driven plot crippled the movie, leading to a movie that many 'Trek' fans derided as the worst in the series. On top of basic tonal issues, the scripts for the past two films have just been flat-out bad with only Abrams' thrilling direction and spot-on casting saving them in any way.

Without Abrams to filter him, what would Orci's 'Star Trek 3' look like? We imagine it would be even darker, nastier and more unlike 'Trek' than 'Into Darkness,' which feels like the wrong track to take. We have no doubt in our minds that Orci will know what he's doing behind the camera. We have no doubt that he is capable of making a good movie. We just have plenty of doubt as to whether or not he's the man for this particular gig.