Pro: The man behind "Forest Gump," "Back to the Future" and "Castaway" is as close to Steven Spielberg-esque filmmaking as you can get these days without hiring Spielberg.  Zemeckis is also experiencing something of a comeback after the acclaim for his first live action film since the aforementioned "Castaway," "Flight." He also is an expert at motion-capture filmmaking, something that is key when dealing with aliens all across the "Star Wars" universe. Zemeckis has admitted the lack of control in live action filmmaking bugs him, but so much of the last three "Star Wars" films was digitally composited that he might feel he was making a mo-cap film again.

Con: One of Lucas' peers, would it be too difficult for him to make necessary stylistic changes that the franchise creator might not completely embrace? Even Spielberg deferred to Zemeckis' wishes on the last "Indiana Jones" picture. If Lucas is still intimately involved, could Zemeckis?

- Gregory Ellwood