Here’s the trailer for one of a handful of films that Idris Elba has a role in, but doesn’t star, even though, he very well could have (see my "Is Idris Elba a Hollywood Leading Man Yet?" post from earlier this week, for context). 

The actor joins Sean Penn and Javier Bardem in director Pierre Morel’s action thriller titled "The Gunman," which is based on the novel, "The Prone Gunman," by Jean-Patrick Manchette.

The story, which was adapted to script by Peter Travis, goes: "Martin Terrier is a hired killer who wants out of the game – so he can settle down and marry his childhood sweetheart. After all, that’s why he took up this profession! But the Organization won’t let him go: they have other plans. For one more time, the gunman must assume the prone shooting position. A tour de force, this violent tale shatters as many illusions about life and politics as bodies."

The age-old "one last job before I retire" — "just when I thought I was out, they pull me back In" sub-sub-sub genre(s).

Idris Elba Sean Penn plays the hired killer who wants out. 

Meanwhile, Elba plays a "mysterious operative named Dupont." It reminds of the singular name of the character he played in another movie he didn’t star in, with a white male lead – "Ghost Rider 2" – Moreau; both French names.

The European production, backed by Studio Canal, is being set up as a potential franchise of "Gunman" films for Penn. He’ll be joining the likes of Liam Neeson, Denzel Washington, and other middle-aged actors with action franchises (or potential action franchises) on their resumes. And, by the way, "The Gunman" is directed by the same fellow who directed Liam Neeson in "Taken."

“The Gunman” hits theaters on March 20, 2015.

The trailer follows below, although if you blink, you’ll miss Elba, even though he’s listed second in the tail-end credits, suggesting that he might have a more prominent role than the trailer otherwise indicates: