IMO, the best reason for NOT doing Khan, despite his popularity is, we KNOW a sleeper ship carrying and bunch of genetic misfits with delusions of grandeur DID NOT launch from Earth in the 1990's!
Neither had the 3rd World War, but it's part of Trek.
Sorry but I disagree with both points.
Do people watch Trek to see a literal interpretation of real life events? Or for some much needed sci-fi escapism that, at best, sets itself up for real life conversation and debate?
I couldn't give a hoot whether or not real life/actual events factored into the equation. And that's one of the few things about Star Wars that has the advantage over Star Trek (not mired in familiar history).
Prime time line. Nu-verse. Who gives a sweet salamander-fuck salad?
Enjoyable story > continuity. Always.
The whole point of a reboot was to
avoid needing to do things like deal with Khan. The best way for Trek to keep chugging ahead is to keep it fresh. Though I worry that 4 year bouts in between films may make things a bit stale.
The best thing Trek could do at this point would be to
find a villain that could somehow operate outside of the need for revenge. That's a horse who has been beaten to death too many times in Trek.
Nero? - Revenge.
Shinzon - Revenge.
Ru'afa - Revenge.
Picard (arguably for Borg) - Revenge.
Enough with the goddamn revenge already. I don't find that sort of villain interesting. It's a one dimensional quality, you know.
I kind of like Sybok, Soran, these obsessed characters totally engrossed in their own insanity.