J.J. Abrams' Star Trek movies were arguably an audition for his Star Wars movies, but the middle films in both modern trilogies faced a considerable fan backlash, though one was more deserving than the other. Abrams didn't direct Star Wars: The Last Jedi, but he was key to revitalizing the Lucasfilm franchise for the Walt Disney Corporation. Rian Johnson has said that he pitched The Last Jedi story to Abrams, who gave him notes before allowing Johnson the creative freedom to tell the story he wanted to tell. A story that would prove controversial for Star Wars fans, The Last Jedi subverted the franchise's mythology, leading to Abrams returning to direct Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
Star Trek Into Darkness, the second of Abrams' Star Trek movies received a similar backlash from Trek fans upon its release in 2013. As with his first Star Wars movie, Abrams' 2009 reboot of Star Trek: The Original Series was well-received by audiences and secured a sequel. However, where the 2009 Star Trek movie left Abrams' Kelvin timeline with a relatively blank slate, the 2013 sequel was a remake of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, one of the greatest Star Trek films ever, which led to considerable controversy.
