While promoting the home entertainment versions of Star Trek Into Darkness, director and producer JJ Abrams noted that he would still be heavily involved in the next adventure for the crew of the USS Enterprise, despite stepping back from the director’s chair.

“Whoever it is that directs the film will be someone we all know is going to keep the cast and crew in good hands,” he told IGN. “I feel very lucky to have been part of it. And it definitely feels like the right time to let someone come in and do their own thing. I certainly don’t want someone to come in and try to do what I would have done. We want to hire someone who’s gonna come in and bring their own sensibility. I’m very excited to see what comes next, despite feeling jealous of whoever that person is.”

Although there have been preliminary discussions and “really exciting ideas” about a storyline, nothing firm has been established yet, but Abrams will be involved in plotting the story alongside Alex Kurtzman, Bob Orci and Bryan Burk. Orci recently let loose at Trek fans on the Trekmovie.com site who criticised the plotting and scripting of Into Darkness.

Read our review of the blu-ray edition of Star Trek Into Darkness here