Jonathan Frakes, the fan-favourite Star Trek actor who played Commanded William T.Riker in The Next Generation and the spinoff films, has started a campaign to direct the third instalment in the rebooted movie series. The enviable job became vacant last week after Roberto Orci stepped away from the director's chair - and Frakes thinks he had what it takes.

Benedict CumberbatchBenedict Cumberbatch starred in J.J Abrams' excellent Star Trek: Into Darkness, which gained critical acclaim

During a radio interview, Frakes was quoted by Comicbook.com as saying, "Hashtag, BringInRiker! I'm all over it. I'm all over it." The actor said he first made contact with producer J.J Abrams and that his agent reached out to Paramount Pictures to try and secure the gig. "I would love that job. I say, unabashedly, I'd be great at it and would love to do it," he added.

More: Roberto Orci is no longer directing Star Trek 3

Still, although he's excited about the possibility, Frakes admits that it's a "long shot" that he'll get the job.

Right now, Edgar Wright is the favourite to get the job given his connection with Simon Pegg and his relative availability after walking away from the Ant Man movie. 

More: read our full review of Star Trek Into Darkness

To be fair to Frakes, he actually has pedigree behind the camera and directed numerous episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation as well as Star Trek: First Contact (1996). He went on to helm Star Trek: Insurrection (1998) and has helmed a ton of television shows including Falling Skies, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D and Switched at Birth. 

Star Trek: Into Darkness, directed by J.J Abrams, was a huge critical success and made over $467 million worldwide to make it the highest-grossing entry in the Star Trek franchise.

More: Is Star Trek: Into Darkness gramatically incorrect?