WATCH: Sean Penn works with 'Taken' director in 'The Gunman'

MANILA, Philippines- Known for his gripping, unforgettable role, Sean Penn joins forces with “Taken” Director Pierre Morrel in a role unlike any he has done before in the explosive action thriller “The Gunman.”

In the vein of edge-of-your seat thrillers “Taken” and “Non-Stop,” director Morrel, known for transforming Liam Neeson into a bona fide action hero brings another up and rising action hero in Sean Penn in the testosterone-driven movie “The Gunman.”

Penn stars as Jim Terrier, an ex-special forces government contractor whose past comes back to haunt him when his former employer tries to have him killed. On the run and thrust into a inescapable game of cat and mouse chase, Terrier races from the jungles of Africa to the streets of London and the vibrant city of Barcelona in a deadly mission to flush out the people who want him dead.

Terrier knows there is only one way to save himself – he must bring down one of the world’s most powerful organizations and face a dangerous enemy from his past in a nerve-shattering showdown that only one man will survive.

From recent interviews, Penn shared his insights on the movie.

"Here's the funny thing, calling it an 'action film' is kind of like calling Meryl Streep a sexy blonde chick. She is. But that really doesn't tell the story of what she is at all. I don't separate this in my mind from anything else I have done,” said Penn about his film.

“It's a very human story that deals with the same things exploited in action films, like warfare. I have seen people in this line of work at work. That does inform what we're doing here."

Fast-paced action that amps up the bullets, explosions and bare-knuckled punches, “The Gunman” also boasts of an impressive cast including Javier Bardem, Idris Elba and Mark Rylance. It will be in cinemas on March 18.