'Star Wars VII' Director? YOU Nominate...

''I think Ben Affleck should direct. I honestly feel that he is one of the best filmmakers working today. He's from the Original Trilogy generation so he gets it. His first 3 films are great. I knew how Argo ended and I was still on the edge of my seat. Search your feelings, you know it to be true. Affleck is the best choice to direct.'' —Treats

''Ben Affleck — ARGO proved to me he can do big ensemble pictures with thrills and laughs!'' —JW

''One you didn't mention was Jon Favreau. He's in the Mouse House now, successfully starting Iron Man (and the whole Avengers Initiative). He worked with Harrison Ford on Cowboys & Aliens (and Star Wars is a space western). Smart money is on Favreau.'' —Chris

''What about a fanboy [dream] team of Kevin Smith and Jon Favreau?'' —JMess

''Jon Favreau is probably the single best choice, since he's already shown he has a great eye for making fun blockbusters that engage kids and adults.'' —Shawn Edward Cantu

''Peter Jackson... Why you ask? Simply put, he respects the characters he must cast and has a great eye with CGI. I haven't one negative thing to say about the LOTR trilogy he directed. I read The Hobbit and The LOTR a few or more times and reread each LOTR book prior to their cinematic releases and I was very pleased with his depictions. Mr. Jackson would keep the Star Wars dream alive and well....'' —Goleafsgo1967

''Peter Jackson would be a conservative best at continuing the expanded universe. He works with what his material is and understands the fan base. Yes that's all us. [He'll benefit] from Star Wars as an epic storytelling adventure all the way from his understanding of Lord of the Rings, Hobbit, and others.'' —joseph arthur

''Jackson is probably the best choice, having shown he can handle both the sweeping epic and the intimate, character driven moments.'' —scp2

''Guillermo could really do something fun with it. His work has a dark edge to it but it always has a soft and squishy human core which makes the characters relatable and lovable.'' —InspectorSpacetime

''Guillermo del Toro — he was supposed to do The Hobbit and I was really excited to see his take on Tolkien. I'd love to see his take on Star Wars, especially with the aliens.'' —peteG

''Guillermo del Toro. He has the right sensibilities to do the practical creature work.'' —PhStranger

''J.J. Abrams would be perfect since he blends tones and genres so well and, even more importantly, he is able to pull off both imaginative spectacle and very grounded, emotional character work.'' —FilmGeek"

''Abrams...could bring some depth, while still maintaining the light at the heart of the series.'' —Invisigothds

''It obviously needs to be directed by someone with an incredible amount of respect for the series. Am I crazy or is Kevin Smith perfect? I know he does mostly comedy but I can't think of anyone that would take it any more seriously.'' —Skichugach

''Kevin Smith! Great dialog writer and a comic book super nerd! He would be able to infuse much needed wit into the series!'' —Shaggysmurf8

''Kevin Smith, he was slated to do Green Hornet and Batman. No bigger comic geek than him. If you do not like his director capabilities, then at least get him to write the stories.'' —Eric Dahlgren1

''What about the obvious choice, Spielberg? We could finally see what he would do with the property after all those years of speculation.'' —Orlandoosubuckeyeguy

''Steven Spielberg because he is good friends with Lucas, and is a far more skilled director of actors. He can bring out great performances out of a special-effects film like Star Wars.'' —cesareliza666

''I think you're missing a huge one. Steven Effie Spielberg. He's Lucas's buddy and clearly knows how to do not only good films but also good Scifi. He'll do it justice.'' —Dark Knight Fan

''I'd go with Spielberg for the first movie in the new trilogy, since his long time affiliation with Lucas, would make for a good transition into the post-Lucas era.'' —Chrono2012

''Brilliant suggestion. He'd give The Force back to Star Wars.'' —Orlandoosubuckeyeguy

''El Spielbiego!'' —Mrmahabir

''Go rent Point Break. One of the best foot chase scenes ever and lots of other action to boot. Sci-Fi? Strange Days. Bigelow can do action. She can do Sci-Fi.'' —Greg Bulmash

''Kathryn Bigalow would be fantastic.'' —Indarkwoods

''Why is Whedon not a bigger part of this conversation? Star Wars was all about bringing the wild west type of mentallity into outer space. This is a concept Whedon understands and he could bring that fun and excitement of the first 3 (Episodes 4, 5 and 6) back. He could make it fun, I agree Nolan would be great but I think Whedon stands a better chance of bringing the magic back.'' —FireFly

''If they could juggle his schedule with Avengers 2, I'd say yes, yes, a million times yes! Whedon is the perfect choice because he's got the cred and most likely the desire to stick to the original source material and grow the franchise in a believable way. I'm kind of hoping they hold out for him so he can direct.'' —Babyinastraightjacket

''Only Whedon has the same character that would truly keep the Star Wars franchise what it has been. Star Wars has always been for the family. I think Empire Strikes Back was the cheesiest of them all, way more so than any Jar Jar character could make the other movies. But, that's part of the allure. The great storytelling combined with cheesy, kiddy jokes have to stay...and only Whedon would be able to pull them off better and not make them so cheesy.'' —humtake

''Pease please Joss Whedon, direct Star Wars ep 7, 8 & 9! It is so right — it would be an opportunity lost to humanity if it doesn't happen that way!'' —Dave1176"

''JOSSJOSSJOSSJOSSJOSSJOSSJOSSJOSSJOSSJOSSJOSSJOSSJOSSJOSSJOSSJOSSJOSSJOSSJOSSJOSS'' —Alex

''The greatest working director is Christopher Nolan (I'm assuming that Peter Weir is retired), he probably wouldn't want to do it, but he certainly deserves the first offer.'' —Jim

''Nolan, with a doubt. He would definitely bring it up to date and give it the depth of characterizations it needs to make it relevant to this time.'' —ashlee

''I think Nolan would be the perfect choice. The new films should have a darker tone similar to Empire. I pick that film specifically because I am not a fan of Return of the Jedi where I believe Lucas started losing it.'' —Videodf

''I would absolutely say Nolan. That guy is amazing. The key is STORY first. Not trade federation embargos and digital characters.'' —GM

''Let Nolan direct; when he faces off with Lucas over the use of filming on film vs. digital, the confrontation will be epic!'' —Chris Chavez

''It pains me to see that no one has mentioned Brad Bird. YES — BRAD BIRD. Ok, I can already hear the disagreements — ''Waah, he only does kid stuff." OH REALLY?? Ghost Protocol was kid stuff when Tom Wilkinson got shot in the head?? The guy knows how to keep things family friendly (which has ALWAYS been a necessary formula). But, he also knows how to develop characters and balance the urgent tension. There's a reason Steve Jobs and Pixar paid him big bucks to join the family.''—Calebisastud

''Brad Bird would be an EXCELLENT choice...he's got a relationship already with Disney, and he proved he could handle big, live-action movies with Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol.'' —Shannon Nutt

''Brad Bird. The Incredibles was a fun and fast-paced childrens movie, and MI: Ghost Protocol showed he can add a more serious edge to an even more fast-paced film, plus he directed live action really well.'' —Kyle

''How about someone with a history of joining a franchise deep into it? How about a director who is a master of sci-fi, animation (which Star Wars dabbled into), visual effects, and adorable humor. How about a filmmaker that has already made movies that have multiple lead characters who work as a team? How about a guy with the uncanny ability to touch audiences emotionally with the relationships between those characters? How about a man that is sitting right in Disney's back yard, as one of their go to guys? Who am I talking about?
Brad Bird. Think about it.'' —Reed

''We need to have a brad bird petition.'' —Joshua Morrow

Want to see who else was in the mix? Click through to find some seriously surprising contenders some of you supported...

Tyler Perry*
Neill Blomkamp
James Cameron
Genndy Tartakovsky
Edgar Wright
Duncan Jones
Rian Johnson
Michael Bay
M. Night Shyamalan

*Seriously, we didn't make this up: ''Tyler Perry as Madea as Princess Leia. America demands it.'' —Yes Tyler Perry

Read Solvej Schou's original post and weigh in for yourself!