"Ray was peerless" — Ryan Reynolds pays tribute as production designer on Marvel's biggest movies dies

Ryan Reynolds has expressed grief over the sudden demise of production designer, Ray Chan. The actor shared a post on X on April 27, 2024 and wrote:

"He built entire worlds from scratch – and did so in the most collaborative and inclusive ways. Ray was peerless. And just awesome to be around. He'll be missed by everyone – but especially, by the people inhabiting his most important world: his family."

Reynolds even added a photo of Chan in the post and the comments section was flooded with tributes from the masses. According to The Independent, Ray Chan passed away aged 56 in Wales on April 23, 2024.

For the unversed, Chan was known for his collaborations with Marvel Studios throughout his career, including the upcoming film, Deadpool & Wolverine. He also gained recognition for working with directors such as James Mangold and was the recipient of several accolades.

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Ryan Reynolds praises the work of Ray Chan: Social media post explored

While Ray Chan's death has led to a huge loss for the film industry, the cause of death has not been made official. In an X post, actor Ryan Reynolds recalled the time when he worked with Chan, appreciating the latter's "level of artistry."

"I don't pretend to know every chapter of Ray's heart, but I know it's unusual to encounter someone with that level of artistry, who simultaneously moved through the world with such an indelible humanity," Ryan wrote on X.

Ryan Reynolds revealed that he met Ray Chan around two weeks ago. He even told the latter that "he makes magic and there's nobody on earth like him." He concluded by saying:

"Generally, he and I gave each other a lot of good natured sh*t. So… of all the final things you could say to someone you adore, that's a little scrap of consolation I'll hang onto forever."

Ryan's co-star in Deadpool & Wolverine, Hugh Jackman, also shared a statement on his Instagram Story. While the story was deleted later, he said he was "devastated" to hear the news and continued:

"There was not a day shooting when I didn't marvel at what he created. He created magic. There was this look in his eyes. The look of a man who loved his craft."

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Ray Chan and his career explained in brief

Also known as Raymond, Chan spent his childhood in Oldham, Greater Manchester, as per The Hollywood Reporter. He enrolled at the Liverpool School of Art where he obtained a degree in graphic design. Chan then went to Kingston Art College to pursue his post-graduate studies.

As soon as he completed his studies, he was able to grab a position as an art department assistant on films such as Alien vs. Predator and Knight and Day. His flawless work helped him win production design awards for Guardians of the Galaxy (2015) and Avengers: Endgame (2020) from the Art Directors Guild.

Ray later started working on projects with Marvel Studios, including Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and Avengers: Age of Ultron. The production company's president, Kevin Feige, and producer, Louis D'Esposito, said in a joint statement that Ray Chan was a "good friend" to all those who worked at Marvel Studios. They also stated:

"He [Ray Chan] was the nicest human being and was such a pleasure to work with, hugely generous, and the kind of person who could take the seed of an idea and turn it into something beautiful."

While his parents' identities remain unknown, Chan's mother was employed as a machinist, while his father was a bus driver. According to The Hollywood Reporter, he is survived by his wife Lindsay along with sons Caspar and Sebastian.