Those two recent trailers for Star Trek Into Darkness promise us a somber tale in which Captain Kirk and his crew must face insurmountable odds, frightening challenges and heartbreaking sacrifices ... or do they? J.J. Abrams hints that things won't be as bad as they seem.

Considering J.J. Abrams' reputation, and the universal acclaim for his first Star Trek film, you'd think cranking out a sequel would been a no-brainer for the studio. But, they apparently had one requirement before they'd give Abrams a green light for Star Trek Into Darkness. So what was it?

Think that Leonard Nimoy's return appearance as Spock in J.J. Abrams' 2009 Star Trek reboot was the coolest thing ever? How about getting someone from Star Trek: The Next Generation in on the next Trek film, too? Someone like Capt. Jean-Luc Picard (Sir Patrick Stewart). Here's what Jonathan Frakes has to say about it.

It's been well-documented that ABC's smash hit Lost was a development mess of ideas that was reworked until the moment it hit the screen—and ended up as one of the best TV pilots ever produced. But did you know a different character almost stepped into Jack's (Matthew Fox) leadership role?