From Goodbye Mr Loserto the summer box-office champion Successor, actor Shen Teng is known for his talent in effortlessly tickling the funny bones of the audience. However, in his new movie Untouchable, the A-list actor steps out of his comfort zone to portray a ruthless gangster for the first time in his acting career spanning over 20 years.

The film, directed by Da Qing and also starring actress Zhang Yuqi, was released across domestic theaters on Friday.

Set in the 1990s, the story follows Shen’s character Zun Fei, a hooligan from northeastern China, to become the right-hand man of a wealthy businessman and navigates the gray areas of the criminal underworld, thriving in the bustling city of Macao. As he confronts a complex web of gang war, power struggles, and moral dilemmas, Zun finds himself caught in a life-or-death gamble designed specifically for him.

During the movie’s promotional event held in Beijing on Wednesday, Shen described his character as an unconventional mobster who is charismatic and values the brotherhood with his fellow gangsters.